


Howling with the Storm

by gallifreyslostson



Series: Written in the Stars [2]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 99,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1420933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallifreyslostson/pseuds/gallifreyslostson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose spent two years rewriting her history with the Doctor, and now they finally have their chance at forever. But as new friends and foes alike appear, new challenges come with them. Can the Doctor and Rose live happily ever after? What is that supposed to look like anyway? Rewrite of season 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Runaway Bride (part 1)

_The Doctor searched Rose’s eyes for a moment before his lips twitched and he leaned down and kissed her softly.  She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, both simply needing to hold the other close for a moment._

_“Thank you, Doctor,” she said quietly after a moment._

_He pulled away fractionally, touching her cheek as he opened his mouth to say speak, but something seemed to catch his eye over her shoulder._

_"What?" he asked, sounding stunned._

_Rose turned just as the redheaded woman near the doors did.  Her eyes widened as the woman yelped in surprise._

_"What?" the Doctor asked again behind her._

_"Who are you?" the woman asked disdainfully._

_"But—“ Rose started, looking around.  Where the hell had she come from?_

_"Where am I?"_

_"Doctor—“_

_"What the hell is this place?" the woman shouted, interrupting her again._

"WHAT?" shouted the Doctor.  "You can't do that, I wasn't..."

"Hold on, we're in flight!" Rose cut in when he trailed off with a confused look on his face.  "How is that even possible?"

"It's not!" the Doctor said, jumping to the console fiddling with controls furiously.

"Tell me where I am," the woman commanded.  "I demand you tell me right now -- where am I?"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor told her, dumbfounded.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS," Rose said, stepping toward her warily.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" they shouted in unison, exasperated.  The Doctor turned to fiddle with the controls again, muttering to himself.

"The what?" the woman said again, and the Doctor glanced up briefly, completely annoyed.  Rose took a deep breath.

"This thing," she said gently, gesturing around her.  "It's called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word," the woman said.  "You're just saying things."

"How did you get in here?" the Doctor cut in before Rose could say anything else, stepping away from the controls.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me," the woman said angrily.  "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys?" he asked, eyeing her up and down.

"Your best friend," the woman spat out.

"Oookay, just hold on, just…wait," Rose said, stepping between them.  "We don't know a Nerys, never have.  We didn't kidnap you, we weren't even near the controls when you popped up."  Rose eyed her for second.  "Hold on, what're you dressed like that for?"

"I'm going ten pin bowling," Donna said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  "Why do you think, Blondie? I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor jumped back to the controls, and Rose followed, pulling a face while Donna ranted.

"You wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" she asked quietly.

"No idea," he said, staring at a monitor.  "It is physically impossible to—No, wait a minute!" he shouted, looking up.  Rose turned to see Donna running for the doors.  They both bolted around the console after her.  "Wait a minute, don't—“

But the bride had already made it to the doors and thrown them open.  They went to stand next to her, the Doctor wrapping an arm around Rose's shoulders and pulling her back against his chest as they stared out at the supernova they were still orbiting around.

"You're in space," he said softly.  "Outer Space. This is my...space-ship. It's called the 'TARDIS'."

"How am I breathing?" she asked, stunned.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose said.  "She's protecting us."

"Who are you?"

"My name's Rose, and this is the Doctor," she said.  "You?"

"Donna," the bride replied in a small voice.

"Human?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her.

"Yeah," she said.  "Is that optional?"

Rose snorted and the Doctor shrugged.  "Well, it is for us."

"You're aliens," Donna said flatly.

"Yeah," he said.  "Well, I am.  Rose is human.  Well...mostly.  Um."

Rose shivered.  "You've got to be freezing, Donna," she said, reaching for the doors.  The Doctor released her as she slammed the doors shut, running back to the console.

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything!" he shouted.  "This—this can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…" he trailed off, and grabbed an ophthalmoscope, using it to look in Donna's eyes.  The woman seemed paralyzed in confusion, though Rose watched her become more impatient as the Doctor's technobabble went on.  "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—" He was cut off when Donna slapped him.  "What was that for?" he asked indignantly while Rose was honestly torn between defending him and laughing hysterically.

"Get me to the church!" Donna shouted.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at Rose momentarily, before jumping for the console again.  "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway!" he cried.  "Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna said, her volume growing with each word.  She glanced around, then stepped toward Rose.  "You know, you can tell me if you're being held here against your will," she said in a stage whisper, touching Rose's arm.

"I'm...what?" Rose said, staring at her.

"I mean, I've heard about this," Donna said, casting a suspicious glance at the Doctor, who raised an eyebrow at them.  "People falling for their captors.  Stackem Syndrome."

Now Rose did burst into laughter, while the Doctor looked absolutely horrified.

"Stockholm Syndrome," Rose said, wiping tears from her eyes.  "It's called Stockholm Syndrome.  And no, that's not it at all.  I want to be here.  I love it."

Donna eyed her, clearly disbelieving this.  "What'd he mean by 'mostly human'?"

"Oh, that's a…long story," Rose said.  "But honestly, I'm fine."

"Yeah, well, I'm getting out before you can try any of that Martian Mind Control on me," Donna said, rounding on the Doctor again.  "Not getting me under your spell."

"Never crossed my mind," he assured her, shooting Rose a look of complete disbelief.  "Right! Chiswick."

She exchanged another look with the Doctor when the TARDIS landed with extreme difficulty.

"Doctor, what's wrong with her?" she asked as they followed Donna out.

"Dunno," he said with a frown, reaching up to stroke the side.  "It's like she's....recalibrating.  Rose, stay with Donna, keep an eye on her," he said, running back inside.

"I said 'Saint Mary's'," Donna said angrily, looking around.  "What sort of Martians are you? Where's this?"

"Um...not completely sure," Rose said, glancing around.  "Something went wrong with her…Donna, have you had any alien contact?  Seen anything strange, like lights in the sky or—“ she turned when Donna didn't answer.  "Donna?"

Rose looked around to see Donna staring at the box that was obviously too small to fit the room she’d just been in.  Rose cursed silently as Donna ran around it.  Her expression grew more and more horrified, until she pushed Rose aside to look inside again.  She backed out with her hands over her mouth, turned on her heel and sped away.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, hurrying after Donna.  "Donna," she called softly as she fell into step with the woman.

"Leave me alone," she said tearfully.  "I just want to get married."

"I know,” Rose said in a soothing tone.  "We'll get you there.  We'll figure it out.  Just...come back to the TARDIS," she urged as the Doctor caught up.

"No way," Donna said, shaking her head.  "That box is too... weird."

"It's...bigger on the inside, that's all," Rose said, touching her arm lightly.

"Oh! That's all?" Donna asked sarcastically, then sighed dramatically as she checked her watch.  "Ten past three.  I'm gonna miss it."

"You can phone them," the Doctor suggested.  "Tell them where you are."

"How do I do that?" she snapped.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" he asked, and Rose nudged him in the ribs.  He glanced down at her, his face the picture of injured innocence.

"I'm in my wedding dress," Donna said, stopping to stare at him.  "It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said ‘Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets’?"

The Doctor stared back at her for a moment.  "This man you're marrying—what’s his name?"

"Lance," she said in a dreamy voice.

"Good luck, Lance," he said.

Rose smirked, but elbowed him again, mouthing the word 'rude' before pulling her mobile out of her pocket.  She tried to hand it to Donna, but was ignored.

"Oi!" she yelled.  "No stupid Martians are gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you both!"

"I'm—I’m not...we're not... I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said feebly as she ran off again.  He glanced guiltily at Rose.  "Rude and not ginger..."

"Hey, she looked plenty ginger," Rose said with a snort, and he smirked.  "But…her wedding day just got ruined, so I think she gets a pass.  Here, take this," she said, handing over her phone.  "I'll stay with the TARDIS."

"Right," he said, jogging off.  "Sure it isn't the Stackem Syndrome that keeps you around?" he called, turning and jogging backwards for a moment with a grin.

"Nah," she said, grinning back.  "The Martian Mind Control was plenty."

He shook he head with a laugh and turned as he rounded the corner.  She turned and walked slowly back to the TARDIS.  It was weird, finally having an adventure that she didn't know anything about.  She couldn't help but wonder if this had happened to him last time, after he'd said goodbye to her.  She quickly pushed the thought away.  She could go mad with the what ifs.  At least the mystery of the appearing bride kept her from thinking too much about her family across the void.

oOoOo

The Doctor cursed as he sprinted back to the TARDIS.  He hadn’t been able to convince Donna to come back to the TARDIS—instead, he’d lost her.  In a cab.  Driven by a robot.  Pilot fish, again.  What was it with Christmas on this planet?

"Doors!" he shouted as he ran, and Rose pushed off from where she was leaning against the side to unlock the doors quickly.  He pulled her in and slammed the doors behind them before running for the console.

"What happened?" Rose asked, following quickly.

"Donna got in a cab that was being driven by a Pilot fish," he said quickly, running around the controls.

"Oh, is it Christmas already?" she asked.

He looked up and grinned.  "Amazing isn't it?  But I can lock onto it, and find her, get her back in here."

"But why are they after her?" Rose asked.

"No idea," he said.  "But I can't find out if we don't get her back."

He concentrated on steering for a moment, smacking the console with a hammer and ordering the TARDIS to behave when it tilted dangerously to one side.

"Hold on, are we actually...like...flying?" Rose asked suddenly.  

"Um...yes.  She doesn't like it much," the Doctor said, peering at a monitor. "So listen, that lever there, you're going to hold on to that.  When I say, you push it forward, right?"

"Right," she said, moving quickly over to it as he ran for the doors.  As he opened it, he saw the motorway speeding by, with Donna’s taxi directly in front him.  "Be careful!" Rose shouted from behind him.

 _Thanks, sweetheart, I wasn't going to do that without a warning_ , he thought uncharitably.  At least he hadn't said it out loud this time.

"Open the door!" he yelled at Donna in the taxi.

"Do what?" she yelled back.

"Open the door!" he repeated.

"I can't, it's locked!" she shouted back.  He made a frustrated noise in his throat, then leaned against the side of the door to pull out his sonic screwdriver.  He pointed it at the door, and Donna pushed the window down.  "Santa's a robot," she said, shocked.

He glanced into the front seat to see the mask had come off the droid.  Well, one less thing to explain later, then.  "Donna, open the door."

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping," she screamed, incredulous.  "I'm supposed to be getting married!"

He made another frustrated noise as the taxi suddenly sped up and away from him.

"Rose, now!" he called into the TARDIS, hanging on as she put on a burst of speed.  He heard her shriek, and looked back to see random explosions happening around the console and cursed, nearly falling out as the ship banged onto the top of another car and against the motorway itself before finally falling back in line with the taxi.  He pulled himself back up, glancing back inside.  Rose gave him a thumbs up, and he turned back to the taxi.  "Listen to me—you’ve got to jump," he yelled.

"I'm not jumping on a motorway," Donna shouted back obstinately.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you," he explained hurriedly.  "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely!" he shouted, exasperated.  "Come on!"

Donna opened the door and inched toward the edge as the Doctor held his arms out to catch her.  She looked up at him in panic.

"I can't do it," she said fearfully.

"Trust me," he said, calm as he could.  He saw her eyes flit behind him to Rose.  “Years, Donna.  She’s been with me years.  And I haven’t lost her yet.  Now, jump!"

Donna took a deep breath, then screamed and jumped, knocking the Doctor back and making them both land in a heap on the floor.  He saw the doors slam, and the TARDIS tilted again, zooming away.  He looked back at the console to see Rose grinning at him, her hands on the controls.  He laughed as Donna shifted off him, and pulled her to her feet before running to the console to take over for Rose.

oOoOo

Rose and Donna exited the TARDIS when the Doctor landed on a roof and watched as he tried to extinguish the smoke billowing from the interior.

"Thing is," Rose said to Donna, wincing as the Doctor coughed and sputtered.  "For a spaceship, she doesn't actually do much…you know…flying.  What would you have done if I wasn't there, Doctor?"

"Oh, I'd have…thought of something immensely clever," he called back.

"Bit of string?" she asked.

"Probably, yeah," he confirmed with a grin.

He gave another spurt with the extinguisher before setting it down and walking over to them.

"We'd better give her a couple of hours," he said.  "You two all right?"

Rose nodded, but he arched an eyebrow and reached down for her arm, tugging up her sleeve to reveal a couple of minor burns from the exploding console.

"I'm fine, Doctor," she said with an eye roll.  He clearly didn't agree with this, but let it go and dropped her arm.

"And you, Donna?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter," she said with a shrug.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked, exchanging a look with the Doctor.

"Yeah," she said flatly.

"Well, you can book another date," the Doctor suggested.

"Course we can," she said, but still sounded dejected.

"Still got the honeymoon," Rose said with a small smile, nudging Donna's shoulder.

"It's just a holiday now," the would-be bride replied.

"Yeah, guess so," Rose said sadly, staring out at the horizon.  "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said, looking up.  "Neither of you."

"Oh! That's a change," the Doctor said with a smile.

"Wish we had a time machine," Donna said.  "Then we could go back and get it right."

The Doctor and Rose avoided each other’s gaze as he said, "…Yeah, yeah. But…even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline.  Apparently."

Donna shot him a suspicious look, then moved to the edge of the roof and sat down.  The Doctor touched the small of Rose's back, and they both followed, the Doctor taking off his jacket to put around Donna's shoulders before he sat down next to her, Rose on his other side.

"God, you're skinny," Donna said.  "This wouldn't fit a rat."

"Haven't had any complaints," he said easily, and Rose rolled her eyes.  "Oh, and you'd better put this on," he added, pulling a ring out of his pocket.

"Doctor!" Rose cried, staring at what looked like a wedding ring.

"What?"

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna asked.  He stared between the two women, then down at the ring as realization dawned.  His face softened when he turned back to Donna.

"Those creatures can trace you," he explained, taking her hand.  "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden. With this ring, I thee bio-damp," he added as he slipped it on her.

"For better or for worse," Donna said, and the Doctor grinned.  He turned forward again and slid a hand up Rose's back to rest it at the base of her neck, stroking her skin lightly.

"So, come on then. Robot Santas—what are they for?" Donna asked.

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor said.  "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked.

“That spaceship over London,” Rose said.  “We were right on top of it.”

"You didn't notice?" the Doctor asked incredulously at Donna's shrug.

"I had a bit of a hangover," she said dismissively.

The Doctor stared at her, then turned to Rose with a look of disbelief.  Rose shook her head and shrugged.

"We spent Christmas Day just over there," the Doctor said, apparently letting the subject drop as he pointed across the skyline.  "The Powell Estate, with Rose's family."

"You wore a paper crown," Rose said with a giggle.

"Oi! So did you!" he said indignantly.  "I happen to think I looked rather dashing in my paper crown," he added, drawing himself up proudly.

"Course you did," Rose said soothingly, patting his thigh.  She giggled again when he gave her a suspicious look before gazing back out at the city and sobering.  "Still...gone now," she said softly.  The Doctor slid his hand over to wrap his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head when she rested it on his shoulder.

Donna watched the pair curiously.  Lance never gave her the random tender gestures that this Doctor bloke seemed to shower on the young blonde woman.  Maybe she hadn't been kidnapped after all.

"What happened to them?" Donna asked softly.  “Your family?”

The Doctor glanced at her, then back down at Rose as they both straightened and shifted uncomfortably.  It was still too fresh of a wound to go into with a stranger.

"Question is," he said, rather than responding to her directly, "what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know—“ He reached across her to pull the sonic out of his suit jacket.  "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary," she said, eyeing him as he scanned her up and down with the sonic.

"It's weird," he said.  "I mean you're not special, you're not powerful—“

"Doctor," Rose said softly.

"—you’re not connected, you're not clever—“

"Doctor," Rose said, a little louder.

"—you’re not important—“

"Tell me, Rose," Donna said, her face pinched in annoyance.  "Do you ever just punch him in the face?"

"No, but maybe I should," she said in an exasperated voice.

"What?" he asked, confused, as he stopped his scan.

“Doctor, everything’s important,” she said softly.  “ _Especially_ the people.”

"Well, obviously…I mean…that’s not…” he said, then eyed Donna again for a moment.  "Sorry."

Rose shook her head.  So brilliant... _so_ thick.

"What kind of secretary?" he asked after another moment.

"I'm at HC Clements," Donna said.  "It's where I met Lance. I was temping.  I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought -- I'm never gonna fit in here.  And then he made me a coffee.  I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee.  And Lance—he’s the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny.  And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him—one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"Six months ago," she said, her voice still dreamy.

"Bit quick to get married, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"Well…he insisted," Donna said.  "And he nagged…and he nagged me…And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

Rose snorted lightly, and the Doctor glanced at her, though Donna didn't seem to notice.  He arched an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes and shook her head, making him grin and cough to hide a laugh.  Donna looked at them sharply.

"What…what does HC Clements do?" the Doctor asked, forcing a straight face.

"Oh, security systems," Donna replied.  "You know…entry codes, ID cards—that sort of thing.  If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'."

"Keys…" the Doctor said thoughtfully.

“You’re not talking about conventional keys anymore, are you?” Rose asked, recognizing the look.

“Possibly not,” he said, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes a little.  “Different sort of key for a very different sort of lock.”

He glanced over at Donna, who was staring at them in confusion again.  She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Anyway, enough of my CV," she said.  "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy."

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars," he said firmly before standing up.  He held a hand out to each woman, helping them both up before taking his jacket back from Donna.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned," Donna said as she walked to the TARDIS. "Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

"You alright?" the Doctor asked, trailing behind with Rose and watching the bride.

"Yeah," Rose said.

"Sure?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Yeah…I just…I dunno," she said, shaking her head as tears filled her eyes.  "Christmas, you know?  Last year…god, we were so happy.  You, me, mum, Mickey…" she trailed off, and he nodded.  "And there's so much I'm going to miss.  I'll never see Tony's first Christmas."

"But you did," he reminded her softly as he put his arm around her.  "Who can say they got to experience their baby brother's first Christmas years before his mum and dad even got together?"

"Didn't think of it like that," she said.  “But it won’t be…that wasn’t…what I remember, that’s not going to happen.  Because I won’t be there.”

The Doctor studied her for a moment.  She had lost so much, and fought so hard for both of them…it really was time for her to start getting something back.

"Tell you what," he said quietly.  "After this is over, we'll do Christmas in the TARDIS."

She gave him a sideways glance.  "You said holidays aren't allowed in the TARDIS."

"Did I?" he asked, bemused.  Must have been when he was in leather.  Sounded like something he'd say.  "Well…first time for everything, right?  Speaking of which…you don't know what's going on either, do you?"

"No," she said with a frown.  "Why would I?"

He grinned and let out a goofy giggle as he took her hand and towed her to the TARDIS.  "Would you look at that.  Big Bad Wolf, just as confused as the rest of us mere mortals…"

"Shut up."


	2. The Runaway Bride (part 2)

When they got to the reception hall, they found that an absent bride was apparently not a good enough reason to call off the reception.  The Doctor and Rose walked in a little behind Donna to discover the party in full swing.  The music was blaring, while all around them, people were dancing, eating, drinking and generally having a grand old time of it.  Donna folded her arms and stared hard at the guests.  A woman in a dreadful hat was the first to notice the trio, and froze.  Silence rippled out from there until all eyes were on Donna.

"You had the reception without me?" she asked, thunderstruck.  The Doctor scrubbed a hand over his jaw as he exchanged a look with Rose.

"Donna…what happened to you?" a man asked.

"You had the reception without me?" she asked again, her voice going up a notch.

There was an awkward pause, and Rose nudged the Doctor in the ribs, nodding to the room at large.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully.  "I’m the Doctor, this is Rose—“

"They had the reception without me," Donna interrupted, turning to him.

"Yes, I gathered," he said, his grin now frozen.

"Well, it was all paid for—why not?" asked a woman in a blue dress.  Rose didn’t miss the way she eyed the Doctor appreciatively, and stepped a bit closer to him.

"Thank you, Nerys," Donna said acidly.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" the woman with the dreadful hat demanded, striding over to them.  "I got your silly little message in the end—‘I’m on Earth’? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what’s the trick because I’d love to know—"

Her voice was drowned out as others approached, all talking over one another.  The Doctor moved to interrupt, but Rose took his arm, shaking her head and nodding at Donna.  The redhead was whipping her head around, trying to take in everything at once, then suddenly burst into very loud and dramatic tears.  The group stopped talking, making sympathetic noises instead, and the man who had spoken stepped forward to take Donna in his arms, eliciting a cheer from everyone.  She sobbed into his shoulder for a moment before cutting a look at Rose and the Doctor and winking.  They both smirked.

"How’d you know she’d do that?" he asked softly.

"Don’t need Bad Wolf," she said.  "I’m a woman.  You don’t even wanna know how many ways I’ve used that trick."

"No…no I really don’t," he agreed, rocking back on his heels.

After Donna’s dramatics defused everyone’s anger, the party began again in earnest.  The Doctor pulled Rose’s phone from his pocket, intending to find out more about this HC Clements, but Rose wasn’t having it.

"One dance, Doctor," she insisted, tugging at his arm.  "Please?"

"Rose, we still don’t know why those things were after Donna," he said, trying to be firm.

"But she’s wearing a biodamper," Rose reminded him.  "And all that information you could find will still be there in a few minutes.  The world doesn’t end because the Doctor dances."

He looked hesitantly at the dance floor, his leg jiggling as he considered his options.  But it was only one dance, and denying Rose anything was almost physically painful.

"Right you are, Rose Tyler," he finally said softly, stuffing the phone back in his pocket.  He took her hand and spun her around, making her squeal with delight before leading her to the dance floor.

They danced often now.  This body was practically made to swing her around in his arms, and this moment was no different.  He spun them and dipped her in time with the fast-paced song, both of them grinning madly.

_So reel me in my precious girl_   
_Come on, take me home_   
_Cause my body’s tired of traveling_   
_And my heart don’t wish to roam_

He finally danced toward the edge of the dance floor, dipping her over his arm as he kissed her.  He pulled out the phone as he straightened them out, then sauntered away to the bar, ignoring the petulant look she gave his back.  She followed after a moment, blocking him from view as he used his sonic screwdriver to scroll quickly through useless information about the company, until he came to the screen that made them both narrow their eyes.

_Sole Prop.  
TORCHWOOD_

"Yeah, it would be," the Doctor said in a low, angry voice.  He glanced over at Rose.  Neither of them needed another reminder of that place, though he knew her anger was probably even worse than his, given what she’d lost, not to mention having to deal with them twice.  He couldn’t help but wonder how much angrier he’d be if…best not think on that, he decided.  He glanced around the room as he handed her back her phone, then caught her eye and nodded to the camera man, touching her back to lead her over.

"Were you at the ceremony as well?" the Doctor asked as they approached the man.

"Yeah, I taped the whole thing," he replied, immediately cueing up the film for them.  "They’ve all had a look. They said ‘sell it to _You’ve Been Framed_ ’. I said ‘more like the News’. Here we are…”

They watched as the tape played.  It zoomed in on Donna’s face as she screamed and glowed with a golden light before seeming to disintegrate.

"Can’t be!" the Doctor said, brow furrowed.  "Play it again?"

"Clever, mind!" the camera man said, rewinding the tape.  "Good trick, I’ll give her that. I was clapping."

"Hold on, Doctor," Rose said, watching it again.  "That looks almost like—“ She glanced up at the cameraman, then looked at the Doctor.  “I’ve seen that before, that light.  Couple of times.”  The Doctor glanced at her and nodded almost imperceptibly, frowning at the video.

"What’s that?" the cameraman asked, confused.

"That’s impossible," he said.  "That’s…ancient! Huon energy doesn’t exist anymore, apart from you and the TARDIS.  Hasn’t for billions of years! So old that…" he trailed off and looked over at Donna, his face suddenly taking on a horrified expression.  "…it can’t be hidden by a biodamper!"

He took off across the room, out into the corridor, and Rose ran to Donna.

"Donna, we’ve got a problem," Rose said urgently, tugging at her.  "The biodamper doesn’t work, not for this.  We’ve got to get everyone out," she added as the Doctor sprinted back to them.

"Donna!  Donna, they’ve found you," the Doctor said.  "They’re here, we need to not be."

"But…this is my family!" she cried.

“I know,” Rose said quickly.  “But whatever these things are after you for, your family will probably be safer if we’re not here.”

"Out the back door!" he said, grabbing Rose’s hand.  They ran for it, only to be confronted by two of the Santas.  "Maybe not," the Doctor said, slamming the door again.

They ran for the windows and looked outside at more Santas advancing towards the building.

"We’re trapped," Donna said.

One of the Santas raised a remote control, and Rose looked at the Christmas trees around the room before tugging on the Doctor’s arm and nodding at them.

"Christmas trees," he said quietly, taking them in.

"What about them?" Donna asked.

"They kill," Rose said as the Doctor ran into the crowd.  The three of them tried to herd people away from the Christmas trees, but without much success.

"Oh, for God’s sakes, the man’s an idiot!" shouted Donna’s mother.  "Why? What’s a Christmas tree gonna…oh!"

She trailed off when the bauble decorations began floating away from the tree in a sort of weird dance.  The Doctor and Rose watched suspiciously from either side of the dance floor as the baubles floated and spun and hovered about the heads of the crowd.  Everyone cooed and chattered excitedly…until they started dive-bombing the guests, causing small explosions around the room.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted, pushing through people to meet up with her in the middle of the floor and pulling her over to the DJ booth to hide behind.  "Cover your ears," he said, close to her ear to make sure she heard.  He watched to make sure she did as she was told before standing.

"Oi! Santa!" he called.  "Word of advice: if you’re attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver—“ He picked up the microphone, spinning it in his hand before saying into it, “—don’t let him near the sound system."

He pressed the sonic screwdriver into an amp port, eliciting a high pitched screech from all the speakers.  The Santas began to vibrate and shake, falling to pieces on the dance floor.  He removed the sonic and crouched down by Rose again.

"You okay?" he asked, searching her face as she pulled her hands from her ears.

"What the _hell_ was that?” she asked.

"Improvisation," he said with a grin, grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet as he jumped up.  He ran over to the Santas just as everyone else was getting back to their feet.  Rose knelt next to him as he examined the various parts.

"Look at that," he said softly, holding the remote and the head of one of the robots.  "Remote control for the decorations…but there’s a second remote control for the robots.  They’re not scavengers anymore. I think someone’s taken possession."

“But…who?” Rose asked, peering at the blinking lights in the head.  “And what do they want with Donna?”

"Never mind all that," Donna said, approaching them.  "You’re a doctor—people have been hurt."

"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look," he said, tossing a bauble at her.  "They’re not active now."

 ”All I’m saying,” she said, “you could help.”

"Gotta think of the bigger picture," the Doctor said, holding the head to his ear.  "There’s still a signal!  You with me, Shiver?" he asked, jumping to his feet and holding out his hand with a grin.

"Every time, Shake," Rose replied with a grin, taking his hand before he dashed off outside.

The Doctor stopped once they got outside, scanning the robot head.  “There’s someone behind this, directing the robo-force.”

"But why is it me?" Donna asked, catching up.  "What have I done?"

“Someone needs a key,” Rose said, exchanging a look with the Doctor.  “But…what for?  And why her?”

"If we find the controller, we’ll find that out. Oh!" He raised the bleeping sonic up into the air.  "It’s up there. Something in the sky."

"Spaceship?" Rose asked as Lance also joined them.

"Someone’s hiding," he said, checking the sonic again.  "I’ve lost the signal—Donna, we’ve got to get to your office, H C Clements. I think that’s where it all started. Lance—is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?"

They piled into Lance’s car and drove off to H C Clements.  Rose watched Lance uneasily.  He was asking questions about everything, but something was…off.  Years of working with the Doctor and Torchwood had made her question everything, and Lance’s presence in Donna’s life at the same time it went haywire was just a bit too coincidental.  The Doctor shot her a questioning look, but she shook her head, still not sure.  But she was going to keep an eye on him while they sorted out what was going on.

They made their way into the building and up to the offices, and the Doctor explained about Torchwood buying up the place years ago.  Both Rose and the Doctor were once again stunned to find out that Donna had no idea about the Battle at Canary Wharf or the duel invasion.  She really wasn’t getting the big picture.  The Doctor kept searching the mainframe, however, sure that someone else had taken over since Torchwood had been disbanded.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.

"Somehow you’ve been dosed with Huon energy," the Doctor explained, turning his full attention to her while Rose turned to another computer.  "And that’s a problem because Huon energy hasn’t existed since the Dark times. The only place you’d find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That’s what happened. Say…that’s the TARDIS…and that’s you," he said, holding up a mug and a pencil.  "The particles inside you activated.  The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP! You were pulled inside the TARDIS," he finished, throwing the pencil into the mug.

"I’m a pencil inside a mug?" Donna asked weakly.

"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up," he said, spinning the pencil around in the mug before setting it down again.  "Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

"I don’t know, I’m in charge of personnel. I wasn’t project manager," Lance said, a shade defensively.  "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

"They make keys, that’s the point," the Doctor said.

“You keep saying that,” Donna said.  “Both of you.  What does that mean?  What do keys have to do with anything?”

"Keys can be and do all sorts of things," Rose said slowly, studying the 3D schematic she’d pulled up.  "Doctor, you want to see this."  She pointed to the schematic.  "Something’s missing."

"Oh…now that _is_ interesting,” he said slowly before darting off to the lift, calling it up.

"What’s that?" Donna asked as they trailed after him.

"We’re on the third floor.  Underneath reception, there’s a basement, yes?"  He stepped into the lift as it arrived.  "Then how come when you look on the lift, there’s a button marked ‘lower basement’? There’s a whole floor which doesn’t exist on the official plans. So what’s down there, then?"

"Are you telling me this building’s got a secret floor?" Lance said incredulously. 

"No, he’s showing you this building’s got a secret floor," Rose said slowly.  He sounded surprised, but he still made her feel twitchy.

"It needs a key," Donna said.

"I don’t," he said, sonicing the lock.  "C’mon, Rose.  Right then, thanks you two, we can handle this—see you later."

"No chance, Martian," Donna said, following Rose into the lift.  "You’re the man who keeps saving my life, I ain’t letting you out of my sight."

"Going down," he said, grabbing a hold of Rose’s hand.

"Lance?" Donna said pointedly.

"Maybe I should go to the police," Lance said hesitantly.

"Inside," Donna ordered.

"To honor and obey?" the Doctor asked as Lance followed them meekly into the lift.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance said.

"OI."

"Have I told you lately how much I adore you?" the Doctor whispered to Rose, eyeing Donna a little fearfully.  Rose snickered and shook her head.

The lift pinged when they reached the lower basement, and Lance and Donna stepped out.  Rose pulled the Doctor back, though.

"Watch him," she said quietly so the other two wouldn’t hear.  "I don’t trust him."

"No, nor do I," he said, glancing out of the doors.  "It’s all a bit to convenient, isn’t it?  Lance is hiding something.  Let’s find out what it is, shall we?"

He held out his arm to her and grinned brightly.  She shook her head and smiled as she took it.

"Where are we?" Donna asked as they stepped out.  "Well, what goes on down here?"

"Let’s find out," the Doctor said as he looked up and down the corridor.

"Do you think Mr Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked.

"The mysterious H C Clements? I think he’s part of it," the Doctor said distractedly, then grinned.  "Oh, look—transport."

He pulled Rose over to several electronic scooters parked against a wall.  They each took one and trundled off down the corridor.  It wasn’t long before Donna started laughing, which made Rose laugh, which made the Doctor laugh.  They laughed even harder when Lance just looked back as if the three of them had gone mad.

He jumped off the scooter when they came to a door marked “Authorized Personnel Only” with a Torchwood symbol, and the others quickly followed suit.  He spun the wheel to open the door an alcove containing a ladder.  He stepped in and glanced up it.

"Wait here," he said.  "Just need to get my bearings. Rose, don’t let them…do anything," he added, pointing at the couple sternly.

"You’d better come back," Donna said as he started up the ladder.

"There’s your insurance," he said, with a nod at Rose.  "As long as she’s with you, I’m always coming back.  Besides…I couldn’t get rid of you if I tried," he added with a grin before heading up the ladder.

"Donna…have you thought about this?" Lance asked as the girls watched the Doctor climb. "Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Oh, I thought July," Donna said, smiling brightly at him before turning her attention back to the Doctor.  Lance gaped at her.

"What about you, Lance?" Rose asked, leaning casually against the door frame, chewing on a nail as she watched him.  "What do you make of all this?"

"Well, I don’t know!" he said, defensively.  "How should I know?  Never been down here before.  Never even knew it was here."

"You sure?" she asked.

"What are you accusing me of?" he asked, his voice rising an octave.

"I’m not accusing you of anything," she said calmly.  "Should I be?"

He gaped at her for a moment, then closed his mouth, turning his attention resolutely to the ladder.  She studied him for another minute, picking at a nail, then turned her head to the ladder as the Doctor hopped down.

"Thames flood barrier!" he said.  "Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there’s like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked, shocked.

"I know!" he said, feigning his own surprise with a look at Rose.  "Unheard of."

She snorted as he took her hand and led them through the twisty corridors.

They entered some kind of laboratory, full of massive test tubes bubbling away and chemistry equipment.

"Oh, look at this!" the Doctor said, pulling Rose toward the center of the room to examine the gleaming equipment.  "Stunning!"

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"Particle extrusion. Hold on…" He let go of Rose’s hand to dart over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it.  "Brilliant," he breathed.  "They’ve been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked.  "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

"We’re sort of…freelancers," Rose said.  "Hold on though, if… _your people_ got rid of Huon particles, how are they manufacturing them?”

"They’ve been using the river," the Doctor said, still examining the equipment.  "Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they’ve got the end result—Huon particles in liquid form," he finished holding up a test tube full of liquid for Rose. 

"And that’s what’s inside me?" Donna asked, coming closer to look. The Doctor gently turned a knob on the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold.  After a moment, Donna also began to glow. "Oh, my God!"

The Doctor eyed her and glanced at Rose—and was mildly disturbed to find her eyes glowing slightly as well.  He turned the knob again and took hold of her jaw with one hand, staring into her eyes as the glow receded.

"Doctor?" Rose asked softly.

"Probably just latent energy," he mused.  "The particles in you are stable, for the most part—bonded to your strange DNA.  Still…noted," he said before turning back to Donna.  "But this…this is genius.  Because the particles are inert—they need something living to catalyze inside and that’s you. Saturate the body and then…HA!  The wedding!" he yelled, once again bouncing around with manic enthusiasm.  "Yes, you’re getting married, that’s it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle—oh, your body’s a battleground! There’s a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you’re cooking! Yeah, you’re like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!"

Rose saw Donna’s hand come up, but didn’t move quickly enough to stop her.  Once again, Rose winced at the sound of the crack across the Doctor’s face.

"What did I do this time?" he asked indignantly.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna asked.

"It’s not…that," Rose said as the Doctor relaxed, looking slightly ashamed.  "He just…gets really excited when he’s being clever and working things out, especially when it’s something that only a genius can, and sort of…forgets everything else.  It’s not because he doesn’t care what’s happening to you, I promise."

"You know, she’s a lot nicer than you," Donna said, slightly mollified.

The Doctor smiled weakly.  “Always has been.  The good cop.”

"Right, just tell me," Donna said.  "These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes!" the Doctor said quickly.

"Doctor," Donna said, not buying it.  "If your lot got rid of Huon particles… why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly," he said reluctantly.

"Oh, my God…"

"Donna, don’t worry," Rose said, her arm going around her shoulder.  "We’ll sort it out.  The Doctor’s very good at that."

"What about you?" Donna asked.  "You have the…stuff too.  He hasn’t fixed you."

"Rose is an entirely different situation," the Doctor put in.  "Completely unique.  But I promise, whatever’s been done to you, I’ll reverse it. We’ve lost enough people lately.  I’m not about to lose someone else."

"Oh, she is long since lost," came a booming, raspy voice, and they all spun around as a wall slid up to reveal a huge chamber with an enormous hole in the floor.  Rose saw Lance retreat through the door, eyes wide in horror.  "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe, until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

"Someone’s been digging… oh, very Torchwood," he said with disdain, examining the hole. "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!"

"Really?" Rose asked, peering down it.  "Seriously? What for?"

"Dinosaurs," Donna said as she shuffled forward.

The Doctor and Rose both turned to stare at her, nonplussed.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Dinosaurs?" she repeated, a little uncertainly.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs," Donna said.  "Trying to help!"

"That’s not helping," the Doctor said.

"Such an interesting trio," the voice rasped.

"Only a madman talks to thin air," the Doctor said, looking around the cavernous room.  "And trust me, you don’t want to make me mad. Where are you?"

"High in the sky," the voice said.  "Floating so high on Christmas Night."

"I didn’t come all this way to talk on the intercom!" the Doctor shouted.  "Come on, let’s have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" the voice asked.

"I’m the Doctor," he said, arching an eyebrow.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man," the voice advised.  "For you will be sick at heart."

Rose and Donna jumped back as a giant spidery thing teleported into the chamber, and Rose felt the Doctor’s hand firmly on her elbow.

"The Racnoss," he said slowly.  "But that’s impossible, you’re one of the Racnoss!"

"Empress of the Racnoss," the spider-woman-thing replied, and the Doctor pulled Rose a little more firmly to his side.

"If you’re the Empress, where’s the rest of the Racnoss?" he asked, taking a step forward.  "Or…are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress said.

"That’s it, the last of your kind," he said.  "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times," he said in a low voice to Rose and Donna.  "Billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving," the Empress said.  "Is that our fault?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked, appalled.

Rose looked up at the web thing in the ceiling.  “Donna…your boss, H C Clements, did he wear those…you know, those black and white shoes?”

 ”He did!” she said as the Doctor followed Rose’s gaze and frowned.  “We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats.”

The Doctor nodded and pointed up to the web.

"Oh, my God!" she said, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Mm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress said with a cackle that sent shivers down Rose’s spine.

"You shouldn’t even exist!" the Doctor shouted.  "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss—they were wiped out."

"Except for me," the Racnoss said.

"But that’s what I’ve got inside me," Donna piped up suddenly.  Rose looked up to see Lance moving stealthily towards the Empress with an axe.  "That Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I’m talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress said.

Rose thought quickly, and suddenly realized where the liquid particles came from…and why Lance made her feel so twitchy.  She looked at Donna sadly.

"Yes, I am! And I don’t know what you are, you big…thing. But a spider’s just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!"

Lance brought the axe back to swing as the Empress turned and hissed at him—then stopped.  He turned and looked at Donna and started laughing, joined after a moment by the Empress.

"That was a good one," he said to the Empress.  "Your face!"

"Lance is funny," the Empress said, still cackling.

"What?" Donna asked, stunned.

"I’m so sorry," Rose said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" she asked.  "Lance, don’t be so stupid! Get her!"

"God, she’s thick," Lance said disdainfully.  "Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can’t even point to Germany on a map."

"I don’t understand," she said softly.

"How did you meet him?" Rose asked.

"In the office," Donna said, turning to her.

Rose nodded.  “He made you coffee.”

"What?"

"Every day, I made you coffee," Lance said as if he was talking to an idiot.

 ”You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months,” the Doctor explained quietly.

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked, stunned.

"It was all there in the job title," the Doctor said with a sneer.  "The Head of Human Resources."

"This time, it’s personnel," Lance said, and he and the Empress shared another laugh.

"But…we were getting married," Donna said, still in shock, and Rose moved to put an arm around her shoulder.

"Well, I couldn’t risk you running off," Lance said.  "I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap—‘oh, Brad and Angelina! Is Posh pregnant?’ X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia."

"OI!" Rose yelled, stepping forward angrily.  "Listen, you stupid son of a—“

"Rose!" the Doctor cut in, pulling her back from the edge of the hole hurriedly.

"I deserve a medal," Lance said.

"Oh, is that what she’s offered you?" the Doctor asked in disgust.  "The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It’s better than a night with her," Lance said nastily, making Rose squirm again angrily, her hands balled into fists at her side.

"But I love you," Donna said, her voice breaking.

"That’s what made it easy," he replied pityingly.  "It’s like you said, Doctor—the big picture—what’s the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That’s what the Empress can give me. The chance to…go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don’t you, Doctor?"

"Who are these people?" the Empress asked.  "The little physician and his tiny assistant?"

"What she said," Lance told her.  "Martians."

"Oh, we’re sort of…homeless," he said, releasing Rose finally and stepping around her toward the hole. "But the point is, what’s down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What’s gonna help you four thousand miles down? That’s just the molten core of the Earth, isn’t it?"

"I think he wants us to talk," Lance said in a patronizing tone.

"I think so too," the Empress agreed.

"Well, tough!" Lance spat.  "All we need is Donna!"

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" the Empress ordered.  "And his precious little sidekick."

"Don’t you hurt them!" Donna said, moving to stand in front of the Doctor even as he pulled Rose to his side.

"No, no," he said, pushing her gently aside.  "It’s all right."

"No, I won’t let them!" she cried.

"At arms!" the Empress cried, and the many robots raised their guns.

"Ah, now. Except—“ the Doctor said, raising his hands in supplication.

"Take aim!" the Empress ordered, ignoring him.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious—" he tried again.

"They won’t hit the bride," the Empress scoffed.  "They’re such very good shots."

"Just—just—just—hold on," the Doctor said, reaching into his jacket pocket.  "Just a tick, just a tiny—just a little—tick.  If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it…the spaceship comes to her."

Rose turned her face as the Doctor took a casual step to the side, shielding her from view as he turned the knob on the bottle again, making the particles inside, as well as Donna and Rose, glow gold.

"Fire!" they heard her scream, but the TARDIS was already materializing around them.


	3. The Runaway Bride (part 3)

"Off we go!" the Doctor said, darting for the console.  "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we’re gonna use it.  We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something’s buried at the planet core, it must’ve been there since the beginning. That’s just brilliant. Molto bene! I’ve always wanted to see this. Donna, Rose—we’re going back further than I’ve ever gone before."

"Doctor," said Rose in a soft voice.

He looked up to see Rose standing next to where the bride was sitting on the captain’s seat, her arms around the redhead as her shoulders shook with silent tears.  That’s part of the reason he needed Rose, he realized.  He got so caught up in the…the brilliance of it all, even the harmful things, that he forgot about…well, the people involved.  Rose never forgot about anyone.

He might be a genius, but his little pink and yellow…mostly human…had the biggest heart in the universe.  He was silent as she spoke softly and soothingly to the heartbroken woman.

"We’ve arrived," he said quietly after another moment when Donna seemed to have calmed a bit.  "Want to see?"

"I s’pose," Donna said, unenthusiastically.

"Oh, that scanner’s a bit small," the Doctor said, spinning it around and peering at it.  "Maybe your way’s best."

"Come on," Rose said quietly, pulling the bride to her feet and leading her to the doors.

"No human’s ever seen this," the Doctor said.  "You’ll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said grumpily as they came to the door.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler—welcome to the creation of the Earth," the Doctor said, throwing open the doors in front of them.  He wrapped an arm around Rose’s waist, pulling her into his side as the three of them took in the wonder before them.  "We’ve gone back 4.6 billion years," he continued softly, his thumb stroking gently at Rose’s ribs.  "There’s no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas.  That’s the Sun over there," he added, pointing to a light amidst the dust and gas clouds.  "Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where’s the Earth?" Donna asked, sounding a little breathless.

"All around us," the Doctor said.  "In the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective," Donna said sadly.  She had never before felt so insignificant.  Everything about her was small.  "Lance was right. We’re just…tiny."

"No, but that’s what you do," the Doctor said encouragingly.  "The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it’s being observed."

"So, I came out of all this?" she asked.

"Isn’t that brilliant?" Donna heard him murmur something else to Rose before falling silent.  Donna glanced over at them to see the Doctor holding the girl’s jaw in his hand, his thumb stroking her skin tenderly.  He gazed into her eyes wearing the same look of wonder Donna felt as she looked out at the beginnings of the solar system before leaning down to kiss her softly.  Watching this made her feel like she was an intruder, and just drove home the fact that Lance had never loved her.  Here was a man who apparently had the whole universe at his fingertips, but still looked at Rose as if she was at the center of it all.

"I think that’s the Isle of Wight," Donna said after a moment, looking outside again.  She heard a husky chuckle, and looked over to see Rose grinning at her, a little embarrassed.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," the Doctor said, turning his gaze to the door and gesturing with the hand not on Rose’s waist.  "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get…"

"The Earth," Donna finished, and the Doctor nodded with a smile.

"But the question is…what was that first rock?" he asked, his eyes scanning the floating masses.

"Look," Donna said, nodding to a star-shaped ship emerging from the gas clouds.

"The Racnoss," he whispered before rushing back to the console.  "Hold on—the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What’s it doing?"

"Exactly what you said," Donna said, as the star began to pull the gas and rocks toward it with speed.

"They didn’t just bury something at the center of the Earth," Rose said softly as the Doctor bounded up behind her. 

"They _became_ the center of the Earth,” the Doctor said.  “The first rock.”

The TARDIS suddenly shuddered violently and tipped, nearly knocking the three of them off their feet.

"What was that?" Donna asked.

"Trouble," the Doctor said as he reached around them to slam the doors shut before running back to the console.

"What the hell’s it doing?" Donna shouted as they struggled to keep their balance.

"Remember that little trick I pulled—particles pulling particles?" the Doctor asked, furiously working the controls.  "It works in reverse—they’re pulling us back!"

"Well, can’t you stop it?" Donna yelled.  "Hasn’t it got a handbrake? Can’t you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered.

"Oh, hold on!" Rose said suddenly, ducking beneath the console.  "This might help," she said, pulling the extrapolator out.

"The extrapolator!" the Doctor cried, beaming at her.  "Can’t stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"

He waited until the TARDIS fully materialized before whacking the extrapolator with a mallet, making the TARDIS give an almighty jolt before he ran for the doors again.

"We’re about 200 yards to the right," he told them as they emerged.  "Come on!"

They ran down the corridor until they reached the door to the Thames flood barrier.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked breathlessly.

"I don’t know," the Doctor said, pulling out a stethoscope and listening to the door.  "I make it up as I go along."

"Don’t worry," Rose said.  "He’s brilliant at it."

The Doctor shot a wink and a grin over his shoulder at her, clicking his tongue.

"But I still don’t understand," Donna said. "I’m full of particles—but what for?"

"There’s a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth," he replied.  "But my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck.  They’ve just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you’re the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you two have never been so quiet," he added suddenly.

He straightened and whirled around, looking up and down the corridor.  Both women had vanished.  The Doctor tensed and drew himself up to his full, fairly impressive height.

"Big mistake," he said darkly, turning back to the door.  "Huge."

oOoOo

"I hate you," Donna hissed at Lance from her place next to him in the web.

"Yeah, I think we’ve gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart," he replied.

They’d both been taken, her and Rose, but while Donna had been strung up in the web, Rose had been knocked out and dumped unceremoniously on the ground near the hole.  Something about her being the first meal.  All because she looked up at the wrong time.

"My golden couple," the Empress rasped.  "Together at last — your awful wedded life. Tell me; do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" they shouted together.

"You’re supposed to say ‘I do’," the Empress said.

"Ha, no chance," Lance said.

"Say it!" the spider thing ordered.

"I do," he choked out, looking at Donna.

"I do," Donna said, as distainfully as she could manage.

"I don’t," the Empress said, cackling.  "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!"

Then the screaming started.  Donna looked down to see Rose glowing and writhing in agony.

"The Martian girl is not all she appears," the Empress said, watching the girl coldly.  "No matter.  Release the particles!"

The screaming reached a crescendo, echoing with weird reverberations as the particles dove into the hole.  The Doctor had said they were different situations.  Clearly in Rose’s case, it was far more painful.

"The secret heart unlocks," the Empress shouted triumphantly.  "And they will waken from their sleep of Ages."

oOoOo

The Doctor had made it back into the chamber just as Rose started screaming.  His patience for the Racnoss, already paper thin, completely ran out.  He hesitated, debating the specifics of his plan.  What he _needed_ to do was get into a better position to negotiate with the Empress.  What he _wanted_ to do was run to Rose, to pull her away, to try to take away the pain.  The particles left in her were trying to leave her body, but they were too integral a part of her, embedded in her very DNA.  When the particles were released, Rose gave one more almighty scream, her body convulsing, then went still.

The giant spider had caused Rose pain—after dumping her body for the children to feed on.  The dark part of the Doctor seethed.

She would get one more chance.  And she had better take it.  Because if she didn’t, he was going to tear this place apart.

His eyes snapped up as Donna shouted, and watched as Lance fell into the hole.  Now was the time to move.

"Harvest the humans!" the Empress shouted as he moved to the stairs and started up them. "Reduce them to meat.  My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!  So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man," she added with a hiss.

He turned, removing the mask and cloak he wore.  “Oh well. Nice try. I’ve got you, Donna!” he said, holding up the sonic and loosening the web around her.

"I’m gonna fall!" Donna shrieked.

"You’re gonna swing!" he called. "I’ve got ya!" he shouted as she swung over the hole towards him.  Unfortunately, she swung just under him, hitting the wall with a dull thud.  "…oh. Sorry."

"Thanks for nothing," she said from the floor.

"The doctor-man amuses me," the Empress said with a smirk.

"Go check Rose," he called down to her urgently before turning back to the Empress.  "Empress of the Racnoss," he called in a strong voice.  "I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

"These men are so funny," the Empress said.

"What’s your answer?" he asked coldly.

"Oh—I’m afraid I have to decline," she said with another cackle.

"What happens next is your own doing," he said calmly as the darkness overtook him.  She would feel pain for what she’d done and what she’d attempted to do.  He would make sure of it.

"I’ll show you what happens next," she hissed back at him.  "At arms!  Take aim!  And—"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly, looking up at the robots as they went limp.

"What did you do?" Donna asked, kneeling beside Rose.

"Guess what I’ve got, Donna?" he asked, pulling out the remote.  "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?" she asked.

"They’re bigger on the inside."

"Robo-forms are not necessary," the Empress said finally.  "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but I’m not from Mars," the Doctor told her calmly.

"Then where?" she asked, uncertain.

"My home planet is far away and long-since gone," he said.  "But its name lives on. Gallifrey."

"They murdered the Racnoss!" the Empress roared.

"I warned you," he said ominously.  "You did this."

oOoOo

Donna watched fearfully as the Doctor threw several handfuls of baubles into the air before making them spin around the room and into corridors.  She was stunned by the cold, dark look in his eyes.  He didn’t look more than thirty-five…but in that moment, he looked ancient—some old, immensely powerful god of destruction.  A shiver ran down her spine, and she leaned over Rose desperately.

"C’mon, Martian girl," she said, slapping at the blonde girl’s cheeks as explosions went off and water began pouring into the chamber, the Empress screaming in the background.  "You’ve got to wake up.  I don’t know what to do."

Then he was there, pushing her gently aside, his expression less cruel now but still unsettling.  He knelt next to Rose and put a hand to her cheek as her eyes fluttered open.  He gave her a small smile before pulling her to her feet.

“Come on,” he shouted over the fire and the water and the wails of the dying.  “Time I got you two out of here!”

He grabbed Rose’s hand and tore off up the stairs again, Donna racing after them.  He led them through the twisting corridors, back to the ladder that led up to the Thames flood barrier.  He pushed Donna up first, then Rose.

"But what about the Empress?" Donna called down to him as they climbed.

"She’s used up all her Huon energy," the Doctor called back.  "She’s defenseless!"

 Donna stood at the top, making room.  Rose sat, her legs dangling in the hole, while the Doctor stayed on the ladder, his arms wrapped tightly around Rose’s waist.  They watched as the Racnoss’ webstar was destroyed, blown to bits by military cannons.  All three of them let out a whoop of triumph.

"Just…there’s one problem," Donna said breathlessly after a moment.

"What’s that?" the Doctor asked.

"We’ve drained the Thames," she said, and they collapsed into laughter.

oOoOo

The TARDIS materialized outside of Donna’s home in Chiswick.  All three of them stepped out, the Doctor still keeping a tight hold on Rose, unable to let her go yet.  He’d done a quick sonic scan to make sure she was alright on the way over, but Rose knew that he wouldn’t be able to relax completely until they were alone again.

"There we go," the Doctor said cheerfully.  "Told you she’d be all right. She can survive anything."

"More than I’ve done," Donna said unhappily.

"Nope!" the Doctor said.  "All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you’re fine."

"And Rose?" she asked, and the Doctor’s grip tightened briefly as a dark look came back in his eyes.

"I’m fine," Rose said.  "Remember, only mostly human.  Made of stronger stuff.  I am sorry, though, about your job—he blew up my job when I first met him too," she said with a small smile.  "And I’m sorry about Lance, Donna.  So sorry."

"He deserved it," Donna said, her voice hard.

"You don’t mean that," Rose said softly.

"No…I don’t," she said, her face softening as she glanced round at the house.  "I’d better get inside. They’ll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have," the Doctor said as they watched Donna’s parents embrace each other through the window.  "Oh, no, I forgot—you hate Christmas."

"Yes, I do," Donna said.

"Even if it snows?" he asked, leaning back to hit a switch just inside the door of the TARDIS.  A ball of light shot out the top and exploded in the sky, turning into falling snow.  Rose and Donna both laughed in delight, and he gave them a smile.

"I can’t believe you did that!" Donna cried.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," he said casually, then grinned.

"Merry Christmas," she said, her gaze shifting between them.

"And you," the Doctor said. 

"So…what will you do with yourself now?" Rose asked her.

"Not getting married for starters," she said with a sigh.  "And I’m not gonna temp anymore. I dunno…travel…see a bit more of planet Earth…walk in the dust. Just…go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always…" Rose started, trailing off when the Doctor’s grip on her waist tightened.

"What?"

"Come with us…" she finished.

"No," Donna said with a smile.

"Okay," the Doctor said quickly.

"I can’t…"

"No, that’s fine," the Doctor insisted.

"No, but really…everything we did today…do you two live your lives like that?"

"Not all the time," Rose said defensively.

"I think you do," Donna replied gently.  "And I couldn’t."

"But you’ve seen it out there, Donna," she said.  "It’s beautiful."

"And it’s terrible," Donna said.  "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you, Doctor…you stood there like…I don’t know…a stranger. And then you made it snow—I mean, you scare me to death!"

"Well then," he said softly, arching an eyebrow and stiffening slightly as Rose glanced up at him.

"Tell you what I will do though," she said with a smile.  "Christmas dinner. Come on."

"Nah, we’ve sort of got our own plans," the Doctor said.  "We’ve got…things to sort out."

"Thank you, though," Rose said.  "For the invitation…and, well everything."  She stepped forward impulsively and hugged the other woman tightly.  "You’ll be great, one day," she whispered.  "Just remember: big picture."

"Am I ever gonna see you again?" Donna asked as Rose stepped back.

"If we’re lucky," the Doctor said with a smile.

"Don’t let go of that girl, Doctor," she added as they turned toward the TARDIS.  "You need her.  You need someone who gives you a reason to stop."  He looked at her for a moment, then nodded.  "Better yet," she added, "give her a reason to wear a white dress one of these days."

Rose burst into laughter when the Doctor suddenly looked like a trapped animal.

"Um…right…well," he squeaked.  "Thanks then, Donna.  Good luck.  And just…be magnificent."

"I think I will, yeah," she said with a laugh.

They retreated back into the TARDIS, and the Doctor piloted them into the vortex.  He stared down at the controls for a moment, and Rose stepped closer.  As soon as she was within arm’s reach, the Doctor spun around and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I’m alright, Doctor," she said softly.

“I know,” he whispered, not letting go.  “But I’m not.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, pressing a kiss to his neck as his head bent over her.

“I lost it, Rose,” he said after a moment.  “I heard you scream, and I lost whatever control I had.  I wanted her to feel pain, for everything she’d done and everything she’d tried to do.  I wanted her to burn and watch her children drown.  And I’m the one person who could make that happen, so I did.”  He pulled back, looking and down at her, a challenge in his face.  “You spent two years trying to save me.  But that darkness, that Hyde side of me, it’s still there.  Do you really still think it’s worth it?”

She looked into his eyes and saw the demons chattering away at him.  No matter what happened, how far he came, the darkness would always pull at him.  She’d always known it would.  The wounds can heal, but the scars remain.  He’d never asked to become the person he had, the one with such talent for destruction, who could survive countless battles, stare down the most formidable foes, and call down fire on his own world when circumstances forced him.  But every day he battled with that, the pain and the guilt and the rage that had been born in him, thrust upon him.  Some days, he lost.  And that’s when she had to fight for him.

“Yes,” she said firmly.  “The Empress had to be stopped, and you were the only one who could stop her.  But you’re still the same man who burned up a sun so I could say goodbye to my mum across the void.  You’re still the same man who literally gave me his hearts on a chain.  And you’re the man who, no matter how furious you were, stopped yourself in time to get Donna and me out of there safe.  And you know what else?  It wasn’t that long ago that you would have just spun us off on another adventure, running away from the pain and the guilt, ignoring it while it ate at you inside.  But you didn’t.  You stopped and admitted that you weren’t alright.  So let me ask you this…do you really still think you’re _not_ worth it?”

He stared down at her.  Once upon a time, he might not have stopped.  It would have been so easy to let go and die with them.  He’d come close to that more than once before he’d met Rose.  But she never stopped fighting for him, seeing the good in him, dragging him up from the quagmire of despair and rage.  She never flinched, never surrendered, and believed in him so much that it had started spilling over and making him believe that he stood a chance of overcoming his past.  She gave him a reason to fight…and a reason to stop before he lost himself again.

“You’re never going to stop trying to fix me, are you?” he asked softly, raising a hand to brush the hair out of her face.

“Never ever,” she said with a smile.

He groaned and pulled her against him again, just needing to hold her and be held.  After a long moment, he felt her yawn against his chest and smiled.  Between saying goodbye to Jackie and the Racnoss, it had been a long day for her, even if she didn’t need nearly as much sleep as humans anymore.

“C’mon,” he said, taking her hands and pulling her to the corridor.  “Time for tea and bed for the neo-human.”

“You said we’d have Christmas in the TARDIS,” she said stubbornly.

“I did,” he agreed with a smile.  “And we will.  _After_ you get some sleep.  And it’ll be…fantastic.”


	4. TARDIS Blue Christmas

True to his word, the Doctor gave Rose Christmas in the TARDIS…as only the Doctor could.  He took her to a planet that specialized in Christmas trees, and they wandered for hours before he found one that he was satisfied with—which Rose insisted was exactly the same as the one they’d found after their first ten minutes.  He took her all over the Earth for different decorations, and then to London for shopping, jumping them forwards in time for Rose to pick up one of her purchases.  They set about making a feast for kings, the Doctor stealthily moving behind Rose, changing the heat setting and timers to make sure she didn’t burn anything, knowing she’d be terribly disappointed if she didn’t get this one just right.  They set up their many decorations in the library while the turkey was roasting, the Doctor stealing kisses underneath the mistletoe whenever possible.  He juggled bauble decorations while she strung lights, talking about how the man whose birth was celebrated on December 25th was actually born sometime in March, and how Christmas was moved in order to cover up a pagan winter celebration.  They threw more tinsel at each other than at the tree before the Doctor brought out the coup de grace, a TARDIS tree topper.  They even hung stockings on the mantle, and Rose was touched to see the Doctor include ones for her parents as well as Mickey and even little Tony.  The dinner turned out surprisingly succulent, though the Doctor maintained his innocence, impervious to Rose’s suspicious glances.  They talked and laughed while they ate, both surprisingly lighthearted.  The Doctor refused to allow her to do any cleanup other than putting food away afterwards, instead grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses before leading her back into the library for presents.

He was delighted with the new blue suit and bright red converses, though couldn’t quite understand what the problem was with him wearing the same brown suit all the time.  She just smiled and shook her head as she examined the leather-bound first editions of Charles Dickens novels. 

He did thank her genuinely when he opened the leather-bound journal filled with heavy, high quality paper.  Sometime during the war, after the fighting had started in earnest, he’d started keeping ratty old composition books for journals, although he still wrote in them extensively; the memories simply didn’t merit something more worthwhile.  Since Rose, however…everything had changed.  She had given him things worth remembering again.

Rose had tears in her eyes as he fastened the new bracelet he’d given her to the opposite wrist as the charm bracelet.  It looked like the same metal as the other pieces of jewelry he’d given her, though it didn’t have the sonic clasp, and it had a symbol engraved into it in what she recognized as circular Gallifreyan.  He said it was something that Susan had left behind, centuries before.  The symbol was her birth name, the one they shared: _Rose_.

“Thank you for this, Doctor,” Rose said softly while they cuddled together to watch _White Christmas_.  “I know domestic isn’t exactly…inside your comfort zone.”

“Rose, you _are_ my comfort zone,” he said, stroking her hair absently.  “And you’d be amazed at what I’d be willing to suffer through for you,” he added, grinning down at her.

“Oh, well, in that case, there’s some very nice curtains I’ve found for the windows on the doors—“

“Oi!” he cried, and she giggled.  His face softened.  “I know it’s not the same, love…it’s not your family…”

“Doctor…you _are_ my family,” Rose said softly.  “The only one I’ve got left in the universe.”

The Doctor looked down at her intensely for a moment.  Gone was the paralyzing fear of losing her to time in a few decades, but he still couldn’t bring himself to believe that she’d really want him for centuries.  There was still so much he could never give her…they would always have to be the Doctor and Rose Tyler, so close but never a real family, not like the one she deserved.  And, while it was much easier to breathe and pretend that the universe wasn’t a tortured place while he had her, all the dark parts of him were still there, the demons simply choosing to bide their time and taunt him rather than being able to continually flog him.  He’d proven that he was still far from total redemption.

As he looked down at her now, though, so happy and content to simply be in his arms, he banished the thoughts to some murky place in the back of his mind.  As long as she’d have him, he’d be happy with her.  After that…well, he’d just have to deal with that then.

“I love you, Rose,” he said, his voice a little hoarse.

“Always,” she said, smiling a little before leaning up to kiss him.

oOoOo

“So we’ve done Christmas,” the Doctor said a few days later, dancing around the console.  “What do you say to a little New Year’s celebration?”

“I’m game,” Rose said as the TARDIS landed.  “Where are we?”

“Well, up until three years ago, this was Longacre Square,” he said as he shrugged into his coat and held out Rose’s for her.  “However, a substantial newspaper moved in, taking over the second tallest building in the city.  The owner, one Adolph Ochs, convinced the city to rename the square the same year he decided to hold a New Year’s Eve celebration.”

“And the name changed to…?” Rose asked as he opened the door and led her out into an alley.

“Rose Tyler, welcome to Times Square,” he said with a flourish as they exited the alley into a crowd of people.  “It’s the thirty-first of December, 1907, and this is the year…hold on, look up,” he said, pointing to the top of a tall building, showing off a large, twinkly ball at the top of a flagpole.  “This is the first year of the infamous Times Square ball drop.”

“Oh, brilliant,” Rose breathed, transfixed.  The Doctor grinned.

“It’s lit by a hundred twenty-five watt bulbs in this first incarnation,” he lectured quietly as he took her hand and they weaved through the crowd.  “Made of wood and iron and weighing in at about 700 pounds.  By your time, it’ll have gone through…oh…half a dozen new models?  But this…this is the original.  Forgotten moment from a hundred thousand sunsets ago…”

She grinned up at him.  “Better with two,” she said softly.

“Without a doubt,” he said, smiling down at her before pulling her back to his chest as midnight neared.

On cue, the ball dropped a second after midnight struck.  The Doctor waited until it finished its descent before turning Rose gently in his arms to kiss her thoroughly as the crowd began to sing Auld Lang Syne.  This, he quickly decided, definitely topped last year.  While he would dearly love to be able to include Jackie and Mickey in their celebration for Rose’s sake, kissing her in Times Square like this, holding her close while her hands were buried in his hair, after everything they’d gone through, both what he’d been aware of and what he hadn’t remembered until a few weeks ago, _this_ was their reward.

Neither cared to linger long after midnight, so he led her back to the TARDIS, dropping another quick kiss to her mouth after he took her coat before shrugging out of his own and steering them back into the Vortex.  He looked up after a moment to see Rose sitting in the captain’s seat with a  thoughtful expression.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked softly.

She looked up at him, and appeared to be considering him for a moment.  “Doctor…what happened to Jack?”

He stared at her for a moment before dropping his eyes to the console again. Why now?  Why would she have to ask about him _now_ , when everything was actually finally decent and good for the time being?  Oh…right…because that’s what Rose did.  Take his life and flip it upside down without a moment’s notice _all the time_.  Apparently, that wasn’t going to stop just because she didn’t have foreknowledge anymore.

Rose might not mention them all the time, but she wouldn’t let any acquaintance be forgot, either.  Especially not one she cared about so much.  But this was one he _really_ wanted to forget.

“Oh, you know Jack,” he said evasively.  “Rebuilding the Earth, making lewd suggestions at everyone who crosses his path, getting himself into more trouble than is strictly necessary but enjoying every minute of it.  The usual.”

Rose was quiet for a moment.  “Can we go see him then?”

“No,” he said quickly.  “Besides, why would he want to see us anyway?  I’m sure he’s made all sorts of new friends that are a bit more…open to his suggestions.”

“Doctor,” Rose said, and he heard her stand up and move closer to him.  “What happened to him?”

“Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?” he asked, avoiding her as he stepped around the console.  “He’s been gone for a year.  Why now?”

“Well, I had a few other things on my mind the last year,” Rose retorted, and he winced.  “Look, I know he’s alive.  I guess my real question is why didn’t he come with us?”

“Because he couldn’t,” the Doctor said hoarsely.  “I can’t have him around.  He’s wrong.”

“What do you mean, wrong?” she asked.

“He died on Satellite 5, Rose,” he said after a moment, backing up from the console and burying his hands in his pockets.  “A Dalek shot and killed him.  And then you brought him back, in all the your Bad Wolf glory.  But you couldn’t control it.  You brought him back for good.  He’s a fixed thing.  It would be painful for me to even look at him now.”

“So you ran,” she said flatly.

“Yeah,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“You were his best friend,” Rose said angrily.  “We both were his best friends.  And you left him there.  No explanation, no goodbye, nothing.”

“I’m sure he’ll figure it out,” he said, scratching the back of his head.  “First time some jealous husband—or wife, as the case may be—shoots him, it’ll be pretty obvious that he can’t die.”

“Doctor,” Rose said, her voice a warning, and he looked up at her again.

“What would you have had me do, Rose?” he asked, his irritation creeping into his voice.  “You were unconscious, and I was minutes from regenerating.  He had his…thing, his vortex manipulator.  He could get out under his own power.  He wasn’t just some puppy I left out to drown in the rain, and I didn’t have a whole lot of options.”

She made a frustrated noise and ran a hand through her hair, leaving her hand at her neck while she took a deep breath.

“I know,” she said finally.  “I know you didn’t.  I just…I hate the idea of him out there somewhere, hating us for what he is and the way we left him.”

“Hating me, maybe,” the Doctor said.  “Doubt he’d even know that you had anything to do with it.  He didn’t see you.”

“Yeah…but I knew what was going to happen,” Rose reminded him quietly. “I never knew what happened before…I thought he was dead.  But now…”

The Doctor suddenly felt the full weight of his decision to leave Jack slam down on him.  All the little things that had made him insanely jealous—the hours they’d spend locked in each other’s rooms, the whispered conversations that would cease as soon as he was within earshot, the shared looks when they didn’t think he’d notice—ran through his mind quickly in an entirely different light, now that he could remember everything.  He hadn’t just abandoned their friend.  He’d taken away Rose’s only confidant while her world went mad.  He could get over Jack feeling betrayed by him, safe in the certainty he’d never have to actually deal with the consequences.  He didn’t like the idea of Jack feeling betrayed by Rose, though; Rose feeling guilty for the Doctor’s decision was even worse.

“I’m sorry, Rose,” he said softly.  “Truly, I am.  I know how much you cared about him, and what he did for you while he was here.”

Rose looked at him, her eyes sad, and he hated himself even more.  “So, because he’s wrong, that’s why you don’t want to go see him?”

“Yeah,” he said.  “I just…I can’t.  The way I see things…it’s hard to explain.”

“You said he’s fixed,” Rose said slowly.  “Like a rock embedded in a river.  Time moves past him, instead of him moving with it.  He’s constant.  You’re a Time Lord, totally connected to Time.  Something that doesn’t move the way it should grates at you.”

He stared at her.  “That…is not entirely inaccurate,” he said after a moment.  “And more than a little impressive.”

She shook her head and sighed.  “Alright, I get it.  I don’t like it, mind you.  But I get it.  Just…do me a favor?”

“Anything,” he said fervently, just thankful that she wasn’t angry anymore.

“If we _do_ ever meet up with him again, explain,” she said.  “Apologize, and explain.  You owe him that.”

He let out his breath in a whoosh.  “Suppose you’re right.  And…if you’re not actually making me go find him—you’re not, right?”

“No,” she said with an eyeroll.

“Right,” he said.  “If you’re not making me do that, I suppose the least I can do is try to explain if we _do_ see him again.”

Rose walked up to him and put her hands on his chest over his hearts.  “Thank you, Doctor,” she said softly, then sighed when his arms went around her waist.  “Guess I sort of put a damper on New Year’s, huh?”

“Well…this definitely wasn’t what I was planning on when we came back to the TARDIS,” he agreed, then gave her a lopsided grin.  “Then again…we do have a time machine.  What do you say we go see the unveiling of the second version of the Times Square ball, hmm?  1920 sound alright?  We could have New Year’s Eve all over again.”

“Oh…I dunno,” she said in mock reluctance, sliding her hands up around his neck.  “Would that come with another kiss?”

“Is there any other way to celebrate?” he asked, taking one of her hands and dancing them around the console, hitting buttons and flicking switches as they passed, and dipping her over his arm just as the TARDIS landed.  They both started laughing when Auld Lang Syne started playing around them before racing out to celebrate New Year’s Eve for the second time that night.


	5. Jones and the Tylers (part 1)

"So why did we get new phones?" Rose asked as they wandered the streets while the Doctor examined his new purchases.

"Because your phone needed an update," he said, his gaze switching between the two as he programmed them.  "Chip me."  Rose laughed and speared a chip to feed to him.  "Ta.  As for why we got two…I’m tired of finding you just a bit too late when we split up, or vice versa.  Be easier if I have one too.  Think how much simpler it would have been on Foretiva if I’d just been able to call you with my excellent theories rather than search through that labyrinth for you."

"Yeah, especially since I could have told you your theories were wrong and given you the very simple directions that you would have seen straight off if you weren’t so busy being impressive for the princess," she replied smoothly, and he pulled a face.  "But are you telling me you don’t have any more…I dunno, advanced communication thingies in the TARDIS?" Rose asked.

"Oh…oh, of course I do…yeah, loads of ‘em," he said, looking shifty.  "These are just…less conspicuous."

"You have no idea where they are, do you?" she asked with a teasing, tongue in teeth grin.

"Not as such, no," he said looking up with a smile.  "Right, hold on.  Final touch."

He took out his sonic and held it over each phone for a moment, then handed her the pink one, keeping the blue one for himself.

"That’s a bit cliche, isn’t it?" she asked.  "Pink and blue?  His and hers?"

"Pink is your favorite color," he said mildly.  "And…well…blue…"

"Right," she said with a laugh.  "What happened to the jiggery pokery you did to the first one?"

"More advanced phones…better sonic screwdriver…I hate analog," he said, pulling a face again while scrolling through the ringtones.

Rose smiled at him, but then stopped walking suddenly, looking around.  She felt an odd tingle in the air…something wasn’t right.  Almost like…static, but not.  She looked across the street at the Royal Hope Hospital and took a step toward it.  Sure enough, the tingling feeling got minutely stronger.

"Doctor," she called.

"Hmm?"  He turned and sauntered back to her, then followed her gaze up to the hospital.  "Oh, that’s not good."

"What is it?" she asked.

"What’s it feel like to you?" he asked, looking down at her curiously.

"Sort of…tingly," she said.  "Like static, but not."

"Plasma coils," he said, nodding.  "Wonder why…mind sticking around for a couple days?  See if anything else happens?"

"No, that’s fine," she said.  "Best chips are here anyway."

The Doctor and Rose watched with growing concern as the plasma coils built up around the hospital over the next couple of days.  It soon became apparent that something needed to be done, soon, and the best way to investigate would be to check in.

"Just wanted to get phones," the Doctor said grumpily as they stepped out of the TARDIS near the hospital.  "That’s all.  Blimey.  Every time we come to London…"

"Yeah, we’ve sort of got another issue," Rose said.  "Who’s gonna check in?"

"What d’you mean?"

"Well, you’ve got two hearts, and I’m supposed to be dead," Rose said.

"Oh…right."  He stared at the hospital.  "Your issue would probably be easier to work around.  That’s just paperwork.  Mine…well…"

"Little bit tougher," she said.  "I don’t want you dissected or something."

"Right," he said, then sighed before taking her hand.  "Off we go then.  Try to look pale and sickly, alright?  We’ll go with stomach cramps…not so severe that we draw a lot of attention, but enough that they’ll keep us overnight."

She sat to the side in the waiting room, clutching her stomach, while the Doctor filled out her paperwork with astonishing ease, making quick use of the psychic paper as proof of insurance.  He walked over to her when he was done, pulling her into his arms as she groaned.

"Way to milk it, Rose," he said quietly, his lips twitching.  "I told them we were married.  That way they won’t try to kick me out."

"The Smiths?" she asked.

He shook his head.  “The Tylers.  Although, you’re maiden name was Smith.  Should help with the paperwork issues.”

"Well done," she murmured as he kissed her hair lightly.

It wasn’t long before a nurse came and called them back.  The Doctor played the part well of concerned husband, describing her “symptoms” carefully while she changed into the hospital pyjamas.  The nurse took her vitals and a doctor gave her a cursory examination, but as she didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, they were told that her condition would be monitored and she would be checked again during morning rounds.

The Doctor, who had been all ease and charm in front of the nurse, now pulled up a chair and sat next to Rose’s bed brooding.  He leaned forward and his leg twitched nervously as he frowned around him.

"You _really_ don’t like hospitals,” Rose commented, watching him.

"Haven’t had the best experiences in them, have we?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.  He glanced at her, then looked away again as a look of pain crossed his features.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder.  "What is it?  What’s wrong?"

The Doctor sighed as he leaned back, running a hand through his hair.  “I don’t like seeing you in that bed.  Not after—“  He cut off the sentence with a sniff.

Rose winced.  She hadn’t really thought about that.  He’d spent three days by her side in the TARDIS infirmary while she’d been comatose after Canary Wharf, not sure if she’d ever wake up.  Needless to say, it had been a dark time for him, one that he didn’t like remembering.

"I’m sorry," she said softly, putting a hand on his cheek.  He leaned into it, closing his eyes briefly as he let out a breath.  "I’m fine, though, remember?  Investigation, that’s all."

"Yeah, I know," he said, grabbing her hand and kissing her palm.  He took a deep breath.  "Speaking of which…"

"Yeah, go," she said with a smile.  "Try to bring me back some real food, yeah?  Stomach cramps mean terrible meals."

"I’ll see what I can scrounge up," he said with a chuckle as he stood.  "Try and get some sleep.  I’ll be back soon."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly before sauntering off, all male confidence again.  Rose read for a little while, but did finally fall asleep.  She woke up a couple of hours later to the Doctor giving her a soft kiss.

"Strictly contraband," he whispered with an eyebrow waggle as he handed her a bowl of chips.

"Oh, you’re my hero," she said happily.

"Dunno about that," he said, easing back into a chair.  "Haven’t found anything that would explain the plasma coils.  Eat up quick, morning rounds will start soon, and there’s a rather…severe looking nurse eyeing me suspiciously already."

"Gee, I wonder why," Rose muttered around a chip.  God knew which room she’d found him trying to get into.

They chatted for a while as Rose polished off the chips, the Doctor hiding the evidence just as morning rounds started.  Rose caught his eye when she heard the supervising doctor’s patronizing tone to his students, rolling her eyes.

"Now then, Mrs Tyler," the doctor said as the group approached.  "Mr Tyler.  A very good morning to you both. How are you today?"

"Aw, not so bad," Rose said.  "Still a bit, you know. Blah."

"Rose Tyler, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains," the doctor explained.  "Jones, why don’t you see what you can find? Amaze me."

"That wasn’t very kind, running about this morning with your wife in the hospital," Jones said as she approached.

"Sorry?" Rose asked, cutting a look at the Doctor, who shrugged, looking startled.

"On Chancellor Street this morning," Jones said.  "You came up to me and took your tie off."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, frowning in confusion.  "What did I do that for?"

"I don’t know, you just did," Martha said.

"Not me," he said.  "I was here, with Rose. Ask the nurses.  Only time I left was for the cafeteria."

"Well, that’s weird, cause it looked like you," Jones said.  "Have you got a brother?"

"No, not anymore," he said easily.  "Just me and Rose."

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," the doctor said.

"Sorry," she said.  "Right."

Jones held the stethoscope to Rose’s chest, then to her stomach.

"I weep for further generations," the lead doctor said dramatically.  "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um, no," she said.  "Could she be pregnant?"

Rose snorted and looked at the Doctor, who merely arched an eyebrow.  They’d already discussed the impossibility of them having a child together for practical purposes.  Rose decided this was probably for the best.  Chances were, they’d be picking up more people as time passed anyway, and a child would only add complications to their already chaotic lifestyle.

"You rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient’s chart," the doctor said, reaching for the chart.  He dropped it on the bed, though, when the metal of it shocked him.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," said another student.

"And me, on the lift," chimed in another.

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a look.  The plasma coils were getting worse if it was this obvious now.

"That’s only to be expected," the doctor said, again looking down on them all.  "There’s a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor piped up happily.

"Correct!" the doctor said, glancing at him.

"God, that was a day and a half," Rose said, rolling her eyes.  "Got completely soaking wet, and you would _not_ stop whining about those rope burns.  Honestly, I survived dangling from a barrage balloon, you could survive a _kite_.”

"Quite…" the doctor said uncertainly.

"Oh, but then I got electrocuted," the Doctor said with a grin.  "You were surprised I had any hair left.  Ah, my mate Ben.  Good man."

"Moving on," the doctor said.  They grinned when they heard him add to one of the students, “I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric for the pair of them."

"I’m going to see if I can poke around a bit more," the Doctor said after another moment.  "Then…it might be time for a miraculous recovery."

"Thank god for that," Rose said.  "I don’t do bedrest well.  Avoid the severe nurse."

"Aye aye," he said, snapping off a lazy salute before heading off again.

Rose read again for a bit, then worked on the crossword the Doctor left.  It wasn’t long, though, before she was officially bored out of her mind.  She looked out at the rain that had started…then looked further down the street at the dry pavements.

The Doctor hurried in just as the rain started going up.  Rose was already gathering up her clothes to change.

"This is not good," he said as he pulled the curtain around for her to change.  "Looks like an H2O scoop.  That’s what the plasma coils were for.  It’s not inside the hospital, it’s somewhere above it."

He grabbed her when the whole building shook, pulling her down to the floor.

"H2O scoop?" she asked when the shaking finally stopped.  He nodded, his face hard.

"You okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

She nodded.  “Where are we?”

The Doctor glanced at the window.  “Looks like…the Moon.”

"What, seriously?" she asked.  "Do you know, in all our travels, this is the first time on the Moon?"

"Not exactly a tourist destination," he said dryly.

She snorted and turned her attention back to getting dressed as they heard Jones calling to everyone to return to their beds during the emergency.

"It’s real," they heard the young doctor in training say from near the window.  "It’s really real. Hold on!"

"Don’t!" said one of her colleagues through tears.  "We’ll lose all the air!"

"But they’re not exactly air tight," Jones said reasonably.  The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look.  "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn’t. So how come?"

"Very good point!" the Doctor said, pulling aside the curtain just as Rose finished pulling on her trainers.  "Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha," she said.

"And it was Jones, wasn’t it?" he asked, striding over as she nodded.  "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can’t be!" said the other student doctor.

"But we are," Rose said, moving over to the girl and touching her arm.  "So we’re safe enough right now, just calm down."

"Martha, what have we got?" the Doctor asked, peering out the window.  "Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or…?"

"By the patients’ lounge, yeah," Martha said.

"Fancy going out with us?" the Doctor asked.

"Okay," she said weakly.

"We might die," he reminded her, arching an eyebrow.

"We might not," she said.

"Good!" he said, with a nod of approval.  "C’mon. Not her, she’d hold us up," he added, pointing at the sobbing colleague.

"Rude," Rose said quietly as they hurried along a corridor.

"It was the truth!" the Doctor said.

"Still rude," Rose said stubbornly.  "The girl had a shock."

"And what was your first thought?" he asked pointedly.

"How are we breathing?" she replied reluctantly.

"Exactly, not ‘we can’t be breathing’, because there’s no point in that, is there?" he asked.

"Just like how we couldn’t be in orbit around a black hole, hmm?" Rose asked, arching an eyebrow.

He hesitated.  “Yeah, alright, but that really should…ugh, fine, you win.  Rude and not ginger.”

"That’s all I’m saying," Rose said with a grin.

He shot her a look before rolling his eyes and shaking his head as they reached the doors.  They each took a handle and opened the double doors together, stepping out onto the balcony.  Martha followed closely behind them.

"We’ve got air!" Martha said as they approached the railing.  "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," Rose said, leaning on the railing to look down.

"I’ve got a party tonight," Martha said.  "It’s my brother’s twenty-first. My mother’s going to be really … really…"

"You okay?" Rose asked, watching her closely.

"Yeah," she said quickly.

"Sure?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" he asked.

"No way," she said immediately.  "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same - it’s beautiful."

"You think?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her appraisingly.

"How many people want to go to the moon?" she asked excitedly.  "And here we are!"

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said.

"What do you think happened?" she asked after a moment.

"What do you think?" he countered, leaning on the railing next to Rose.  Rose tilted her head at him.  He was testing her.

"Extraterrestrial," Martha said firmly.  "It’s got to be. I don’t know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben - Christmas - those Cybermen things.”  She paused, her face becoming sad.  “I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I’m sorry," Rose said quietly.

"Yeah," Martha said.

"We were there," the Doctor said.  "Rose and I.  In the battle.  It was…" He trailed off and swallowed hard.

"I promise you, Mr and Mrs Tyler, we will find a way out," Martha said with authority.  "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There’s got to be a way."

"Yeah, we’re not married," the Doctor said, straightening and walked around the balcony.  Rose didn’t miss the new interest that sparked in Martha’s eyes as she looked the Doctor up and down.  "My name’s not Tyler.  That was just so I could stay with Rose."

"Who are you, then?" Martha asked.

"Well, she _is_ Rose Tyler,” he said, nodding at Rose, who had started her own prowl around the balcony.  “I’m the Doctor.”

"Me too, if I can pass my exams," Martha said.  "What is it, then, Doctor Tyler?"

"Just the Doctor," he said.

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?" she asked.

"Just… the Doctor."

"What, people call you ‘the Doctor’?" she asked incredulously.

"All the time," Rose said.  "I do."

"Well, I’m not," Martha said.  "As far as I’m concerned, you’ve got to earn that title."

"Well, I’d better make a start, then," the Doctor said distractedly as Rose silently picked up a pebble and threw it into open space, where it passed through an invisible barrier.  "Oh…some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"If that’s like a bubble sealing us in," Martha said slowly, "that means this is the only air we’ve got. What happens when it runs out?"

"How many people in this hospital?" he asked.

"I don’t know, a thousand?" she asked.

"One thousand people…suffocating," the Doctor said.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked.

"Head’s up!" the Doctor said, pulling at Rose’s waist.  "Ask them yourself."

They looked up to see massive, pillar-like alien ships descending on the moon just outside the force field.  Once they had landed, black shapes with huge helmets poured out of them in ordered lines, marching toward the hospital.

"Aliens," Martha said quietly.  "That’s aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Judoon," the Doctor said darkly, tightening his grip on Rose.  "C’mon."


	6. Jones and the Tylers (part 2)

They made their way back through the hospital toward the entrance, hiding behind some plants on the mezzanine level as the Chief Judoon took off his helmet and spoke to the crowd.  Once it had assimilated the language, the Chief Judoon explained roughly that they were to be catalogued by species.

"Catalogue all suspects," it ordered to the troops.

The rest of the Judoon began grabbing people, shining a blue scanner at them to check their species, and marking them with a cross as each came up human.  Rose looked around, then nudged the Doctor.

"Oh, look," she said, pointing.  "This one’s got a shop."

"I do like a little shop," the Doctor said with a grin.

"Never mind that!" Martha interjected impatiently.  "What are Judoon?"

"Didn’t you say they were like…galactic police or something?" Rose asked.

"Well, police for hire," the Doctor said, moving around to get a better look.  "More like interplanetary thugs."

"And they were the ones behind the H2O scoop?" Rose asked.  "They brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory," he said with a nod.  "According to galactic law, they’ve got no jurisdiction over the Earth, so they isolated us."

"What’s an H20 scoop?" Martha asked.

"That rain, going upwards, and the lightening," Rose told her.

"And ‘galactic law’?" she asked.  "Where’d you get that from? If they’re police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

“ _They_ brought us here,” Rose pointed out.  “Not exactly trespassing if the police are the ones dragging you to a place.”

"No," the Doctor said.  "They’re making a catalogue, which means they’re after something non-human…which is very bad news for us."

"Why?" Martha asked, and the Doctor just looked at her, arching an eyebrow.  "Oh, you’re kidding me.  Don’t be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on, then," he said, jumping to his feet and striding off again.  He led them up the stairs towards the records room.  "Martha, stay here and watch them.  Let me know if they get closer.  Rose, come with me."

"You don’t think I’ll catalogue as human," Rose said when they were inside the records room.

"No, I don’t," he said as he turned to the computer, pulling out his sonic.  "Mostly human, but not nearly enough in this particular case.  And since I’m not sure what exactly they’re looking for yet, I don’t want us splitting up unless we have to."

Rose studied him for a moment.  “What happens if they think we’re what they’re looking for?”

"They execute us," he said in a hard voice, his eyes trained on the screen, but the muscles in his shoulders tensing.

"They’ve reached third floor," Martha said as she burst in.  "What’s that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor said without looking up.

"Well, if you’re not going to answer me properly!" she snapped.

"No, really, it is," he said, glancing up.  "It’s a screwdriver, and it’s sonic. Look."

"Soniced up," Rose teased, and he rolled his eyes at her before going back to the screen.

"What else have you got?" Martha asked.  "A laser spanner?"

"Don’t," Rose advised her.  "He’s still mad about that."

"Cheeky woman," the Doctor muttered before hitting the computer and making them both jump.  "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon." He ran hand over his jaw and turned to them as Rose stepped closer.  "We were just passing through, we weren’t looking for trouble, honestly, we weren’t, just phones and chips, that’s all, but then there were these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that’s plasma coils, it’s been building up for two days now, so Rose checked in, ‘cause I thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

Rose stepped up to him quickly during his tirade, putting her hands on his shoulders as he turned away from them again.  He bowed his head for a moment, letting out a breath.

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn’t," the Doctor said.

"Like you two," she said.  "Apparently."

"Like us, but not us," Rose said firmly.

"Haven’t they got a photo?" she asked.

"Might be a shape-changer," Rose said thoughtfully.

"Whatever it is, can’t you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked, giving Rose an odd look.

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they’ll sentence it to execution," the Doctor said.

"All of us?"

"Oh yes. But if I can find this thing first… Oh!" he cried, smacking the screen again.  "Just that they’re thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that’s clever."

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don’t know," he said, hands going through his already wild hair.  "Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there’s a back-up," he added, grabbing the computer and tilting it around to reach the back.

"Just keep working," Martha said.  "I’ll go ask Mr Stoker, he might know."

"I’ll go with you," Rose said, but the Doctor’s arm shot out with lightning speed and grabbed her wrist.  "Doctor, there might be something dangerous out there."

"There’s more things likely to be dangerous to you then to her," he said.  "Go, Martha."

Martha hesitated, then nodded and left.

"Doctor," Rose started.

“ _No_ , Rose,” he said, using his sonic at the back of the computer.  “I love you, I trust you implicitly, you are fully capable of taking care of yourself…but that does _not_ mean that I’m alright with you running around in a hospital full of things ready to execute you on sight just to keep someone else who is relatively safe company.  I told you, we’re not splitting up on this one unless we absolutely have to.  This situation is too dangerous for both of us, because if they find us before I figure out what the hell they’re after, they’ll execute us, and if I don’t find what they’re after soon, they’ll execute everyone.”

He thumped the computer again and went still for a moment, breathing deeply.  Rose felt distinctly frustrated, missing the foreknowledge that she’d been functioning with the last couple of years.  As wonderful as it was not to have to hide from the Doctor anymore, it would have been nice to have some clue as to where to go from here.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, and he shuddered.  He brought a hand up to her arms and squeezed gently.

"I’ll get us out of this, I swear," he said roughly.

"I know," she said.  "This one’s all you.  Whatever you need."

"Thank you," he said, sighing a little.  "Right, backup," he said, pulling her arms away and turning back to the computer.

He worked quickly for another few minutes before he managed to restore the backup and flip through patient files.  He came up with a few possible suspects and grabbed Rose’s hand, pulling her out into the hall to find Martha.  The young doctor in training skidded into them in the hall.

"I’ve restored the back-up," the Doctor said.

"I found her," Martha told him.

"You what?" he asked, stunned, just as the man in leather broke through a door after them. "Run!" he shouted, grabbing Rose’s hand and pushing Martha in front of him.  They ran down the stairs, the man in leather close on their heels, and turned for the next flight of stairs to find Judoon coming up towards them.  The Doctor spun and pushed both women through the door to the fourth floor corridor.  They sprinted down another maze of corridors, skidding around corners, until the Doctor pushed them both into the radiology room, closing the door on the man behind them and locking it with the sonic.

"When I say ‘now’, press the button," the Doctor said, pushing them into the shielded room.

"Which one, Martha?" Rose asked urgently.

"I don’t know!" the other woman cried.

"Wonderful," Rose snapped, leaping for a user’s manual.  She flipped through it quickly, looking for diagrams as the man in leather burst in.

"Now!" the Doctor shouted, and Rose smashed at a likely looking yellow button.  The X-ray machine zapped on, and the skeleton of the leather-man could be seen before he fell to the floor.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent," the Doctor said.  "Killed him dead."

"But…Doctor…you’re…" Rose stared at him and swallowed hard.  She didn’t want another regeneration.  She was just getting her second chance with this one.

"Won’t that kill you too?" Martha asked as the Doctor looked up at Rose, his face softening as he shook his head.

"Nah, it’s only roentgen radiation," he said cheerfully.  "We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It’s safe for you to come out, I’ve absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it," he said, hopping around as they left the shield room.  "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It’s in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it…Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. Itches, itches, itches, itches, itches—Ah, hold on." He took off his shoe and threw it into the dustbin.  "Done.  Oh…That was a Christmas present," he added with a disappointed look.

"You’re completely mad," Martha said.

"You’re right. I look daft with one shoe," he said, pulling off the other shoe and chucking it as well.  "Barefoot on the moon!"

"Oh, you stupid bloody—“ Rose said, launching herself at him.

"Hey now," he interrupted, holding her close.  "I’m alright."

"Little warning would be nice," she said, still clinging to his neck.  "Just a ‘hey, Rose, I’m about to absorb a lethal amount of radiation, but hey, don’t worry, it’s not the kind that kills me’.  Would that be so hard?"

"Next time, I promise," he said.  "Sorry."

"So what is that thing?" Martha asked, kneeling by the dead…thing.  "And where’s it from? The planet Zovirax?"

"It’s just a Slab," the Doctor said, releasing Rose to kneel by it.  "They’re called ‘Slabs’. Basic slave drones, see? Solid leather, all the way through."

"Someone has got one hell of a fetish," Rose commented, and the Doctor grinned at her as he stood and turned to the x-ray machine.

"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan," Martha said, standing as well.  "It was working for her. Just like a servant."

"My sonic screwdriver," the Doctor said in dismay as he pulled the dilapidated remains out of the machine.

"She was one of the patients, but—“

"I burnt out my sonic screwdriver!" he said, pouting.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire," Martha continued, ignoring him.

"I loved my sonic screwdriver!" he whined.

"Doctor!" cried Martha.

"Sorry," he said, looking up at her as he tossed the sonic behind his shoulder.  "You called me ‘Doctor’."

"Anyway!" Martha said pointedly.  "Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker’s blood."

"Funny time for a snack," Rose said, earning another odd look from Martha.  She got the distinct feeling the medical student wasn’t fond of her, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.  "You’d think she’d be hiding."

"Unless…no…" the Doctor said, staring at her blankly as the wheels turned in his head.  "Yes, that’s it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn’t drinking blood, she was assimilating it.  If she can assimilate Mr Stoker’s blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We’ve got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

He ran out of the room and down the corridor, skidding around another corner before pulling both girls to the side and down behind a water cooler.  They looked up to see another Slab walk by them.

"That’s the thing about Slabs," he said.  "They always travel in pairs."

"Like you?" Martha asked, eyeing Rose.

"What?" she asked.

"What are you…like, his backup?" the student doctor asked.  "His assistant?  Trainee?"

"Humans," the Doctor said while Rose looked at Martha in confusion.  "We’re stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you’re asking personal questions. Come on."

"I like that," Martha said sarcastically as they rose to their feet and turned a corner.  “‘Humans’. I’m still not convinced you’re aliens."

They stepped out in front of the Judoon, who shined the blue scanner at the Doctor.

"Non-human," it reported.

"Oh my God, you really are!" cried Martha.

"And again!" the Doctor shouted, sprinting down the corridor.

They took off down the corridor, ducking around a corner as the Judoon blasted lasers after them.  They ran up the stairs, the Doctor locking the door manually behind them, before coming out into a corridor where people were falling to the ground, gasping for breath as the oxygen started running out.

"They’ve done this floor," the Doctor said, taking a cursory glance around.  "Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won’t go back to check a floor they’ve checked already. If we’re lucky."

They made their way swiftly down the hall, past the collapsing patients.  Martha stopped near the other medical student who had been crying earlier, who was holding an oxygen mask to a young girl.

"How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked her.

"Not enough for all these people," the woman replied.  "We’re going to run out."

"How are you feeling?" the Doctor asked Martha.  "Are you all right?"

"I’m running on adrenaline," she said, though it would be hard to miss the fact that she was already panting a little.

"Welcome to my world," the Doctor said.  "Rose?  You alright?"

"Yeah, I’m good," she said, ignoring the slight burn that was creeping into her chest.  "What about the Judoon?"

"Ah, great big lung reserves," he said.  "It won’t slow them down. Where’s Mr Stoker’s office?"

"It’s this way," she said, guiding them through the corridor.  She was surprised when they entered and no one was there.  "She’s gone! She was here."

The Doctor and Rose hurried over to Stoker’s supine form.  His skin was gray and his eyes were open, unseeing.

"She drained him dry…" Rose said, feeling a little sick.

"Every last drop," he muttered.  "I was right. She’s a plasmavore."

"But I don’t get it," Rose said.  "If she’s supposed to be on the run or hiding or whatever, what is she still doing here?  Just scanning as human isn’t going to save her for long.  You said the Judoon would execute everyone if they can’t find her."

"That, Rose Tyler, is a very good point," he murmured, glancing down at the body again before surging to his feet, grabbing Rose’s hand and dragging her up with him.  "Come on."

"Hold on," she said, putting a hand on his chest to stop him as Martha stepped over to Stoker, bending down to gently close his eyes before following them.


	7. Jones and the Tylers (part 3)

The Doctor strode just ahead of the two women, his mind whirring.  He had to fix this before the Judoon decided they were all worthy of execution.  Chips and phones, that was it, and now he was fighting for his life and Rose’s on the bloody moon with some intern who was absolutely brilliant but asked personal questions as if she had some—

_Focus_.

"Think, think, think," he said.  "If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?"  He glanced around and caught sight of the sign for the MRI room and groaned.  "She’s as clever as me. Almost."

"Meaning?" Rose asked, just as they heard Judoon voices quite close.

"I need time," he said quickly, turning and glancing between them.  Rose, he was sure, would confuse the hell out of the scanners, but far more than was safe for this situation.  It had to be Martha.  Oh, Rose was not going to be happy…  "You’re going to have to hold them up," he told Martha.

"How do I do that?"

"Forgive me for this," he said, his eyes flitting between Rose and Martha.  "It’s to save a thousand lives, it means nothing.  Honestly, nothing."

And he leaned down and pressed his lips to Martha’s, feeling Rose’s shocked gaze on him the whole time.  He released her as soon as he dared, grabbed Rose’s hand and took off through the corridors.  He slowed as he got closer to the MRI room, stopping just before the door.  He turned and pressed Rose against the wall, kissing her fiercely before opening the door to a supply cupboard next to the room and pushing her inside.

"Whatever happens," he whispered urgently in her ear when he pulled away, "whatever you hear, you need to stay here."

"No, I’m not just gonna—“

"Yes, you are," he ordered.  " _Please_ , Rose.  I can’t debate this with you.  Please, just do as I say, and _stay here_.”

She watched him for a moment, her eyes wide, then gave a small nod.  He let out a breath and kissed her forehead quickly before shutting the door and moving to the MRI room.  There was one way to be sure that the plasmavore would scan as non-human…he really hoped he didn’t die.  Rose might try to bring him back just to kill him herself.

oOoOo

Rose paced the couple of steps she was allowed in the tiny closet she had been shoved into.  She had gotten used to being the one who already knew what was happening, already knew the plan.  It was hard getting used to being in the dark again.  She also hated that the Doctor had apparently done a backslide from the whole equality thing.  He’d kissed the medical student—yeah, alright, somehow that was going to save everyone, whatever—after making Rose dose him with radiation, and now he was trying to hide her away while he did god knew what to save everyone.

“Bollocks to _that_ ,” she muttered, easing the door open and checking the hall for Judoon before turning to the MRI room and slipping inside, thankful that there was a curtain to give her some kind of cover.

She listened as the Doctor used his “confused human” act to pull information from Miss Finnegan, and grew more and more concerned.  If she wasn’t stopped soon, she was going to fry everyone…assuming the Judoon didn’t first.  She bit her lip when he told the plasmavore that the Judoon were upping their scans—a bluff, but it would make her panicky.  But she’d just try to assimilate again.  What was the—her mind froze in horror as she realized exactly what the Doctor was planning.  There was one reliable way to make certain she would scan as non-human: assimilate the blood of a non-human.  She cursed inwardly.  That was…such a Doctor plan.  Unique, effective, and horribly, terribly dangerous.  How much blood would it take to scan as non-human?  Surely she didn’t have to kill him.  Regardless, Rose wasn’t going to let that happen.  She pulled aside part of the curtain to watch surreptitiously when Miss Finnegan gave the order for him to be steadied, and felt a surge of hatred for the woman as she stuck her stupid bloody straw into the Doctor’s neck.  She felt sick when the plasmavore started drinking his blood, and had to force herself to stay still.  When he started to go limp she’d had enough, spinning from her hiding place and kicking the Slab high on the back so it stumbled forward, dragging the Doctor away with it.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the Doctor shouted, superior biology apparently aiding his recovery—that, or he was just _incredibly_ angry at her.  Probably both.  No matter, he was alive…pale, but so alive.

“Or, how about you keep her from roasting half the planet?” Rose said quickly, ducking when the Slab turned and made to grab her.

“Right,” the Doctor said, scrambling up and blocking the door to the shielded room as Miss Finnegan tried to run for it.  “Sorry, guess I was wrong…the wife doesn’t seem to like you much after all.”

Rose snorted as she dodged another blow from the Slab.  “Leather all through, yeah?”

“Yep,” the Doctor said, his eyes still on the now snarling plasmavore.

“Right,” Rose said, and aimed a kick at the Slab’s chest, sending it reeling back into the overclocked MRI machine.  The sparks coming off the machine engulfed it, making it seize momentarily before it dropped to the floor.

“Not that I’m condoning violence, Rose,” the Doctor said.  “But you’ve been holding out on me.”

“Pete’s Torchwood,” she got out between gasps.  The exertion had made her labored breathing even more difficult as the oxygen was depleted, and she saw his eyes flash to her in concern as she sank to the ground.  The plasmavore tried to use his distraction to slip past him into the shielded room, but he wrapped one long arm around her, holding her in place.

“Oh, no,” he said.  “I’m taking you to the Judoon right now.”

The door slammed open suddenly, and the Judoon entered in force with Martha trailing behind and yelling at them, making Rose grin despite the fact that her head was swimming and black dots were dancing in her vision.

“You will be cataloged,” the Chief Judoon said as Martha looked around.  The Doctor was holding onto Miss Finnegan and looked pale and shaken, while Rose and the Slab were both slumped to the floor.  It was maybe ten minutes since he took off after kissing her.  What the hell happened?

“Non-human,” one of the Judoon reported, scanning Rose.  “Species: unknown.  Genetic augmentation suspected.”

“No,” the Doctor growled, lunging forward even while maintaining his firm grip on Miss Finnegan.  “She’s innocent.”

“It’s her!” Martha cried, pointing at Miss Finnegan while the Doctor attempted to wipe the look of horror from his face.  “She killed Mr Stoker!  She drank his blood!”

“Judoon!” the Doctor said in an authoritative voice.  “Under Article 28 of galactic law, I’ve made a civilian arrest of this criminal plasmavore, held until such time as proper authorities could receive her.  She assimilated one of the humans here in order to bypass your scans.”

“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Miss Finnegan said, shaking off his hands, and he let her go, stepping to the side with an arched brow as scanners were beamed in her direction.  “Scan all you like, I’m as human as they come.”

"Non-human," the Judoon reported.

"What?" she asked, stunned.

"Confirm analysis."

"Oh, but it’s a mistake, surely," Mrs Finnegan said sweetly.

“Confirmed: Plasmavore,” the Chief Judoon said.  “I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine.”

“She deserved it!” Miss Finnegan spat.  “Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore.”

“Do you confess?” the Chief asked.

“Confess? I’m proud of it!” she cried, darting into the shield room and pressing something.

“No, wait!” the Doctor cried out, but was roundly ignored.

“Verdict: guilty,” the Chief Judoon said as a warning light came on.  “Sentence: execution.”

“Enjoy your victory, Judoon,” the plasmavore hissed.  “Because you’re going to burn with me. Burn in hell!”

Her last word was drawn out as the Judoon shot at the window, melting it before she was disintegrated.

"Case closed," the chief Judoon said.

"What did she mean, ‘burn with me’?" Martha asked as they turned to go and the Doctor stooped over Rose.  "The scanner shouldn’t be doing that," she added.  "She’s done something."

The chief Judoon walked over and scanned it quickly.  “Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse.”

"Well, do something!" Martha shouted.  "Stop it!"

"Our jurisdiction has ended," it said, ignoring her.  "Judoon will evacuate."

"You can’t just leave it," Martha said.  "What’s it going to do?"

"All units withdraw," it said, ignoring her.

Martha made to follow them as they departed, but the Doctor grabbed her wrist.

"Leave it, Martha,” the Doctor said quickly, standing straight again.  “They won’t help.  Fortunately, you have me.”

He grinned at her and darted into the shielded room, checking through various wires before pulling a plug that shut the whole scanner down.

“See?  Sorted.  Molto bene,” he said, coming back out and kneeling by Rose again to pull her into his arms.

“But now what?” Martha asked, gasping for breath and using the wall to steady herself as she staggered after him into the hall, past various patients and staff that were slumped to the ground in various states of oxygen starvation.  “We’re still stuck on the moon, and the oxygen is still running out.”

“I know,” he said quietly as he carried the girl back towards the ward.  He stopped in front of the windows and glanced at her.  “You might want to sit down before you collapse.”

“What about you?” she gasped, but she did as he said, not having the strength to resist.

“Non-human,” he reminded her, still looking out the window.

She was too out of breath to try to ask what that meant, so she just turned and watched out the window as the Judoon ships took off.

"Come on, come on, come on," he muttered.  "Come on, Judoon, reverse it."

Then, just before she passed out, it started raining.  The Doctor beamed and held Rose closer.

"It’s raining, Rose," she heard him murmur.  "It’s raining on the moon."

oOoOo

The Doctor and Rose slipped out a side door of the hospital once it was safely back on Earth and Rose was again conscious.  They stopped briefly on their way to the TARDIS to wave to Martha before going home, the Doctor quickly spinning them off into the Vortex.  He continued to pace around the console, spinning and flicking controls at random and avoiding Rose’s gaze.

“You’re angry,” she said after a moment.

He stopped, looking up at her.  “You did what you thought was best,” he said carefully.

“But you don’t agree with it,” she said.

He looked back down at the controls.  “Doesn’t matter,” he said.  “It’s over, done with.”

“But you’re still upset.”

“What did you expect, Rose?” he asked, stepping away from the console and running a hand through his hair.  “Did you think I’d be _happy_ that you ran headlong into danger after I _begged_ you to stay put?”

“If I had stayed put, you could have died!” she retorted.

“So could you!” he shot back angrily.  “After you passed out, the Judoon scanned you, and you came up non-human.  If Martha hadn’t distracted them, if I hadn’t known what to say, they would have executed you on the spot!”

“And if I hadn’t shown up, that plasmavore would have bled you dry!” she shouted.  “Never mind the fact that you made me think that I’d killed you _again_ , never mind that you kissed some medical student—“

“It was not a _kiss_!” he cut in.  “It was a genetic transfer to buy me time!”

“—but hiding me away while you went on some suicide mission was so far beyond the realm of alright I can’t even begin to explain it,” she continued, ignoring him.  “Would you have even regenerated from that, Doctor?”

“That’s…that’s not the point—“

“Yeah, it is,” she said.  “’Cause you _still_ don’t get it.  You can’t just keep me in the dark because you think it’s better for me.”

“What happened to ‘this one is all you, whatever you need’?” he asked acidly, even while doubt crept in that she might actually have a point.

“That goes out the window when you decide to sacrifice yourself and leave me alone,” she spat back.  “We’re all we’ve got, Doctor.  Sooner or later, you’re going to have to accept that.”

They stood glaring at each other across the console for another minute before she spun around and stalked down the corridor.

“We’re not done here,” the Doctor called.

“I am,” she said.  “You’re obviously not going to listen, and right now, I don’t really want to either.  I’m going to shower.  You want to do something, you should go get Martha.  She deserves a trip…she did help.”

“Maybe I will,” he said, more annoyed now that she was simply walking away from him.  “Maybe _she’ll_ actually listen to me.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Rose said with a dismissive wave.  “Might wanna avoid any more _genetic transfers_ though.  Could get confusing.”

He made an irritated noise and spun back to the console.  Bloody woman.  He’d told her to stay in that cupboard, and she hadn’t listened.  He had every right to be angry.  Granted, he might not have factored in _all_ the variables when he headed off to the plasmavore…but that was completely beside the point.  Alright, he probably should have said something before the radiation…and before the genetic transfer…and…

No.  She was supposed to stay put.

_Could you have stopped the plasmavore from killing you?_ the TARDIS sang in his mind.

**_You_** _stay out of this!_ he shot back.

_You tried to control her again,_ the ship hummed.  _You made decisions for her because you were frightened for her.  Which is the same reason she ignored you._

Brilliant, now they were ganging up on him.  He spun and stalked down the corridor, performing a sonic rinse and changing back into his brown suit—he didn’t want to wear the blue one again until he found more red trainers—muttering to himself the whole time about stubborn women and interfering spaceships.  It wasn’t until he was back in the console room and searching for Martha that he sighed heavily, hating everything as he grudgingly admitted they might be right.

oOoOo

Martha watched as her family took off in two separate directions along the usual fault line.  Leo always went with Dad, Trish always ran after Mum, and everyone got mad at her no matter which way she ran.  She sighed and looked up to see the Doctor standing at the opening of an alley, leaning on a wall casually.  He smiled when he saw her looking, pushing off the wall and vanishing into the alley.  She hesitated for a second before following.  When she found him again, he was leaning on what looked like a blue shed, the same one she’d seen him and Rose disappear into earlier before it…well…disappeared.

"I went to the moon today," she said softly.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," he commented.

She gave him a small smile.  “You never even told me who you are.”

"The Doctor," he said.

"What sort of species?" she asked, stepping closer.  "It’s not every day I get to ask that."

"I’m a Time Lord," he said.

He didn’t seem nearly as cheerful as he had earlier.  Still just as fit, though, she realized as she eyed his lean form.  She wondered again what, exactly, his relationship with the alien girl was.

"Right!" she teased, trying to draw out the cheerful man she’d seen earlier.  "Not pompous at all, then."

He barely smirked.  “I just thought…since you were such a big help…and I’ve got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing…you might fancy a trip.”

"What, into space?" she asked, eyeing him.

"Well…"

"I can’t," she said reluctantly.  "I’ve got exams. I’ve got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I’ve got my family going mad…"

_And you’re a mystery man who’s too dangerous for words_ , she added in her head.

"If it helps," he said slowly, "I can travel in time, as well."

"Get out of here," she said.

"I can," he insisted.

"Come on now," she said, smiling.  "That’s going too far."

"I’ll prove it," he said, and, with a swish of his long coat, disappeared into the box.  Martha heard a strange whirring noise, and the box faded from view.  She stepped forward in disbelief, putting her hand out to where it had been, but backed away hurriedly when the noise got louder again, and wind whipped at her.  As she watched in amazement, the blue box once again solidified in front of her, and the Doctor stepped out again, smirking and holding up his tie…

Martha stared at him in disbelief.  She just now realized that this was the suit he’d been wearing when she’d seen him this morning on Chancellor Street, before he’d sworn up and down that he hadn’t left the hospital.

Who _was_ this man?

"Told you," he said, swinging the tie.

"I know, but…that was this morning!" she cried.  "But—Did you…Oh, my God! You can travel in time!"

He smirked again, pulling the tie back over his head and knotting it back into place.

"But hold on," she said.  "If you could see me this morning, why didn’t you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," he said.  "Except for cheap tricks."

"And that’s your spaceship?" she asked, stepping forward to touch it.

"It’s called the TARDIS," he said.  "Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

The weird day had, unbelievably, turned into a weirder night.  He was the man who had saved everyone’s life, not to mention gave her one hell of a kiss, standing here explaining impossible things like they were an everyday occurrence.  And he was looking at her with gorgeous brown eyes, waiting expectantly for her observations about it.

"Your spaceship’s made of wood," she said, proud at how normal she sounded.  "There’s not much room. We’d be a bit intimate.  Especially if Rose is in there as well," she added, the question hinted none too lightly.

"Take a look," he offered, pushing the door open.

She walked in after another moment’s hesitation, and froze, staring at an almost cathedral like room.  She spun and ran back out.

"Oh, no, no," she said, staring up at it and running around the outside.  "But it’s just a box. But it’s huge. How does it do that? It’s wood," she said, knocking on the side before stepping back inside.  "It’s like a box with that room just rammed in. It’s bigger on the inside."

"Is it?" the Doctor asked, sounding surprised as he walked up the ramp and took his coat off, tossing it aside.  "I hadn’t noticed.  All right, then, let’s get going."

"But is there a crew?" she asked, gazing around as she followed him.  "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Just me and Rose," he said, not looking at her.

"Where is Rose?" she asked, a little disappointed.  She hadn’t seen her, and she couldn’t help hoping the blonde had been a temporary installation in his life.  Apparently not.  Still…he had kissed her.

"Oh…she’s around," the Doctor said vaguely.  "She’s…well…never mind."

"Sure she’s okay with me being here?" she asked.

"She suggested it," he said, surprising her.  That…was a good sign, she decided.  They couldn’t be together if she was suggesting he invite other women he’d kissed after just a few hours.  "Just a trip to say ‘thanks’, mind," he added.  "I’m…we’re better off on our own."

"You’re the one that kissed me," she reminded him.

“ _That_ was a genetic transfer,” he said, eyeing her briefly before moving away.

"And if you will wear a tight suit…" she added, following him.

"Now…don’t!" he said hurriedly.

"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date…" she said.

"Stop it," he said, turning to her, his face serious.

_Alright, alien boy,_ she thought, _hard to get it is._

"For the record?" she said.  "I’m not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

"Good," he said with a smile before turning back to his console.  She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.  "Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally—the hand brake. Ready?"

"No," she said with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Off we go," he said, pulling a lever.  The whole place lurched and started shaking, making them both nearly fall over.

"Blimey, it’s a bit bumpy," she said.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones," he said, holding out his hand.

"It’s my pleasure, Mr Tyler," she said, shaking it.


	8. Exploration

The Doctor stabilized them in the Vortex and spun Martha around so she was facing the corridor running off the console room.

“Oh my god, you’re kidding me,” she said.  “There’s _more_?”

“Oh, yes,” he said.  “Go on, explore.  I need to…take care of some things, then we’ll be off.”

He walked down the corridor and took the first left, knowing that the TARDIS would take him where ever Rose was without him really needing to know.

“Wait, but how will I find you?” he heard Martha ask behind him.  He turned to find her staring down the corridor at the many doors and offshoots, looking a little overwhelmed.

“Don’t worry,” he called back.  “Hard to really get lost on this ship unless something’s really wrong with her.  When you want to find me, you will.  Otherwise, have fun.”  He walked another couple steps, but turned again with an afterthought.  “Just…do me a favor…any door that’s locked or stuck…just leave it that way, alright?  Chances are, there’s a reason.”

She nodded before walking off, and he turned around again, wandering the corridors until he found a sliding glass door that led to a very strange view indeed.  He stepped through and gazed out at what looked for all the world like the balcony outside Jackie’s flat at the Powell Estate.

“This is new,” he commented.

“Psychic ship strikes again,” Rose said, leaning against the railing.  “Guess she knew I missed Mum.  This is the closest she could get.”

“It’s pretty close,” he offered, stepping up to the railing next to her.  She shrugged.  He leaned on the railing and looked out on the simulated horizon for a moment silently.  “You realize you’re the most stubborn woman who ever lived, right?” he asked finally.

“Maybe,” Rose said, glancing sideways at him.  “But you’re the biggest control freak who ever lived.”

“That’s…entirely possible,” he admitted with a sigh, thinking back to what the TARDIS had told him.  “But all I wanted was to keep you safe.”

“I know,” she said softly.  “But you really should have learned by now that if me being safe means you’re not, I don’t want it.”

He glanced down at her, then rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning to lean back against the railing as he crossed his arms.  “You know, normal companions are a lot easier to deal with,” he said, gesturing wildly with one of his arms.  “Just the standard ‘yes, Doctor’, ‘no, Doctor’, ‘Help, Doctor, I’ve been captured by the man-eating flat worms of Bostoria’.  Simple.  Then there’s you.  You say yes when you should say no, and no when you absolutely should be saying yes if you have to say anything at all.  I send you home, you tear apart my ship.  You get trapped in another universe, you conspire with said ship to break laws of time and space and come back.  I try to hide you in a cupboard so you won’t get executed by interplanetary thugs, and you pick a fight with a Slab.  What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Stop fighting it?” she suggested sweetly, and he looked down to see her wearing the teasing grin he adored above all others.

“That’s…that’s just not fair,” he said, arching an eyebrow at her.  He scrubbed a hand down his face with a groan.  “You know, I should still be mad.  You scared the hell out of me.  But…you saved my life.  Again.”

“And then you saved everyone,” she said.  “Again.  Because that’s what we do.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking down at her again for a moment before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.  “That’s what we do.  When we’re not frustrating the hell out of each other.”

“Right,” she said with a giggle.  She leaned up to kiss him, and he met her half-way, burying a hand in her hair as his tongue ran over her bottom lip before deepening the kiss.  It was another minute before she pulled away, breathless.  “There’s that, too,” she said.

“Mhm,” he agreed, moving his hand to caress her cheek.  “And for the record, that was _not_ a genetic transfer…”

She swatted him lightly on his chest.  “Annoying as that was, it was the least of my worries today.”

“I know,” he sighed.  “I’m sorry I cut you out, Rose.  I just…”

“I know,” she said, her hands on his chest over his hearts.  “You’ve been a one-man show for a long time…you’re used to being the one to save and protect everyone.  Just don’t forget…stronger than the average human.  Even if I can’t see the future anymore,” she added, pulling a face.

He grinned, moving his hand to her arm.  “Yeah, how is it, being in the dark?”

“Annoying,” she admitted, wrinkling her nose adorably and making him giggle.  “It was a lot easier when I knew we’d survive anything, no matter how hard it might have been.  Plus…I can’t see things the way you do anymore.”

“Oh, I dunno,” he said, shrugging.  “Not all it’s cracked up to be.  You did notice the plasma coils, though.  That was interesting.”

“Hmm…yeah,” she said thoughtfully.  “Hey, speaking of normal companions, where’s Martha?  I know the TARDIS landed…a couple of times.  Have some trouble finding her?”

“No, I did not,” he said, rolling his eyes.  “Found her just fine, thanks very much.  She’s off exploring, since I needed to come finish that conversation with you.  I had to land more than once to prove that it was a time machine.”

“How did you— _oh_ ,” she said, grinning as she moved a hand to play with his tie.  “The tie.”

“The tie,” he said, grinning back.  “Yep.  So at least that’s one more mystery laid to rest.”

“Yeah, how about explaining how we’re looking out on London?” Martha asked from the door.

oOoOo

Martha had wandered for a while, opening doors at random…or, at least, the ones that would open.  She found a lot that wouldn’t, and couldn’t help but wonder at what was hidden behind them.  She had found an art gallery, a beautiful library, a surprisingly quaint kitchen (a visual marred only by the fact that the toaster seemed to be in pieces on the table…and there seemed to be a _lot_ more pieces than there should be), and a pool.  She had a sudden image of the very fit Doctor in a speedo and nearly fell over.  Alien or not, the man was brilliant and handsome and had saved her life.  Was it any wonder she already had a huge crush on him?

Just the thought of him made her want to see him again, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he’d meant when he said she’d find him when she wanted to.  Sure enough, though, when she turned another corner, she saw him out on a balcony with Rose.  She stopped, her heart sinking a little.  His arm was around Rose’s waist, and one hand rested on her cheek while both of hers were on his chest.  As she watched, he smiled down at her and moved the hand on her cheek down to her arm, his thumb moving lightly as she wrinkled her nose while she said something.

_So much for them not being together, then_ , Martha thought glumly as she stepped forward.  Then again, they were both aliens.  Maybe they just weren’t compatible with humans.  Or…

_Maybe he just doesn’t know what he’s missing with humans_ , Martha thought, cheering up considerably before being distracted completely as she realized the balcony they were standing on appeared to be looking out on London.

“The tie,” the Doctor was saying as she opened the door.  “Yep.  So that’s one more mystery laid to rest.”

“Yeah, how about explaining how we’re looking out on London,” Martha suggested, stepping out onto the balcony.

“Oh, Martha!” the Doctor said, apparently cheerful again as he turned to her, dropping the hand from Rose’s arm, but leaving his arm around her waist.  “Hello.  Have a good wander?”

“Thrilling,” she said.  “London?”

“It’s a simulation,” Rose said, turning from the Doctor to lean against the railing.  “I was missing home.  Well, what used to be home…a lifetime ago.  Anyway, the TARDIS made it for me.”

“What do you mean the TARDIS made it?” Martha asked, gingerly stepping closer to the railing.  She could even feel a breeze, she realized.  This was one _hell_ of a simulation.

“It’s…complicated,” the Doctor said, leaning on the railing next to Rose and looking out over the city.  “Basically, the ship can make…spaces…for whatever the occupants might need at any given time.  Talk of which, did I tell you I found a pear shooting range?” he added to Rose, who burst out laughing.

“Hold on, this looks like an Estate,” Martha said with distaste as she looked around.

“The Powell Estate,” Rose said with a nod.  “That’s where I grew up with my mum.”

“But…you’re not human,” Martha said, looking over at her in confusion.

“Yeah…it’s a…long story,” Rose said, letting out a chuckle at the end.  “I’m human…just a bit…different.  Started out normal enough, though.  Right here.  Well, the Earth version.”

Martha couldn’t help staring at her.  Not only was she not an alien…but she was an Estate girl?  The Doctor, the brilliant, amazing, _gorgeous_ Doctor…was with a chav from the Estates?  How was that even possible?

“Tell you what, though,” Rose was saying now, leaning back from the railing.  “Before we go swanning off to where ever the Doctor plans to take us, I need some food.  Stomach cramps mean very little in the way of real food, and I’m starving.  Meet me in the kitchen in…mmm, twenty minutes?  Or whenever you hear the alarm go off, whichever comes first,” she added with a smile as she turned and left.

The Doctor laughed, straightening as she left, but stayed on the balcony, burying his hands in his pockets as he looked out on the horizon.

“So she’s human?” Martha asked, trying to understand.

“Bit more than that,” the Doctor said.  “Had a run in with the Time Vortex.  She’s fine now.”

Martha blinked at him and shook her head.  That didn’t actually explain…anything.

“Right,” she said, as if this made total sense.  “And how long…has she been travelling with you?”

“Depends who you ask,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“I’m asking you,” she said pointedly.  He glanced down at her briefly before looking out again.

“Um…a bit more than two years,” he said, scratching the back of his head.  “Hard to tell sometimes, even for me.”

“Is that why it depends who I ask?”

“No,” he said he said with a sort of soft, secret smile.

“Then…why?” she asked.

“Another long story,” he replied, his hands back in his pockets.

“I’ve got time,” she said, turning to lean back against the railing with her elbows.

He eyed her for a moment, brow arched.  “Not for that,” he said.  “Tell you what, I’ve got some diagnostics to run on the TARDIS before we take off again.  Why don’t you go keep Rose company, maybe keep her from setting a fire.”

“I could help you,” she said quickly.

“Nah, that’s alright,” he said with a grin.  “Just basic diagnostic…stuff.  But Rose is…frightening in the kitchen,” he added, sucking in a breath.  “If you want something edible, you want to be in there.  Or you can stay here—your choice.”

He shrugged and turned, sauntering back inside and granting Martha a nice view of…everything unavailable, apparently.  She thought for a minute, then went to find the kitchen.  Maybe she could get more information from the…sort of human.  She was surprised when the kitchen came up far sooner than she expected.

“I know the kitchen wasn’t this close before,” she muttered as she stepped in.

“Yeah, you get used to it,” Rose said, glancing at her before looking back in the cupboard.  “He send you in here to check on me?”

“He said you’re frightening in the kitchen,” Martha admitted.

"I am…which is amazing, because the TARDIS actually does most of the work," she said, frowning. "That confused him to no end. He says it should actually take effort to be as bad as I am."

"Classy," Martha said. She couldn’t help wanting to like the blonde…she had an extremely disarming personality…if a little simple.   Maybe that’s why he liked her.  Someone simple.  But someone who could challenge him had to be better.  "So how long have you been travelling with the Doctor?" she asked, trying her question again.

"Depends who you ask," Rose said, not looking away from the cabinet.

"Yeah, that’s what he said too," Martha said, frowning.

Rose turned and looked at her. “One thing you’ve got to learn right now, Martha…even the simplest questions have complicated answers where the Doctor is concerned.”

“Why’s that, then?” she asked.

“Nature of a Time Lord,” Rose said dramatically with an eye roll, then turned back to the cabinet.  “So, what d’you think, pasta?”


	9. The Shakespeare Code (part 1)

After dinner, Martha was beginning to feel the day as the adrenaline finally wore off, but didn’t want to say anything, afraid the Doctor would simply take her home and disappear again.  Instead, she just asked for a place to freshen up, splashing cold water on her face and retouching her makeup.  This done, she wandered around until she found the Doctor and his…companion dancing around on opposite sides of the console, grooving to “Ballroom Blitz” as they each worked on different bits of it.  The two seemed to have boundless energy.  As she watched, she saw the Doctor look up and dart over to Rose, catching her by surprise as he picked her up by her waist and spun her around while she laughed, linking her hands behind his neck.  He stopped spinning, but held her aloft, looking up at her for a moment.  Martha coughed, clearing her throat and announcing her presence.  The Doctor dropped Rose to her feet and spun around—but kept one hand on the small of the blonde’s back as the music cut out abruptly.

"Martha!" he cried happily.  "Brilliant!  Ready for your trip?"

"Yeah, definitely," she said, stepping forward warily. 

"Right!  Let’s go!"

He jumped for the console again.

"So whatcha think?" Rose asked.  "Time or space?"

"Time, I think," the Doctor said, flicking and pressing and spinning his way around the console.  "Bit easier to handle for the first trip."

"Oh, look who’s all accommodating now," Rose said with a teasing grin.

"Oi!" the Doctor cried.  "I was a different man back then!"

"Don’t I know it," Rose said, and Martha saw the Doctor shoot her another look.  She decided not to even bother asking about that one.  She’d tried asking them more questions while they ate, but they seemed to have evasion down to an art form.

"But how do you travel in time?" she asked instead.  "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let’s take the fun and mystery out of everything," he replied, keeping his eyes on the console.  "Martha, you don’t wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!"  

The ship lurched, knocking Martha to the floor and the other two away from the console.  She groaned and picked herself up gingerly as the Doctor grabbed his coat and shrugged into it.

"Blimey!" she said.  "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed it," he said, chucking her jacket at her and moving down the ramp to the door.  "Now, make the most of it.  I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door…Brave new world."

"Where are we?"

"Take a look," he said with a smirk, opening the door.  "Go on, ladies first."

She glanced at Rose, who simply smiled and nodded at the door.  She took a deep breath and stepped out, Rose following closely behind.  She stopped a few steps from the door, looking around in amazement.  They were in…well, London, probably, but old…very old.  Dirt streets and wood houses and…old.

"Oh, you are kidding me," she said.  "You are so kidding me. Oh, my God! We did it.  We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language.  When are we?"

Suddenly, Rose grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back just as someone shouted from an upper floor and a bucket was dumped on the spot she’d been standing in.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet," Rose noted.

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said, stepping around them and surveying the area.

"I’ve seen worse," Martha quickly assured him.  "I’ve worked the late night shift at A&E."

He grinned back at her before taking Rose’s hand and sauntering off with her.

"But are we safe?" Martha asked, fearfully rooted to the spot.  "I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Doctor said, turning to stare at her.  "Why do you ask?"

"It’s like in the films," she explained.  "You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Well, tell you what then, don’t step on any butterflies," he said, and Rose giggled.  Martha shot her a dirty look.  "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

"Really, it’s not as complicated as the films make it," Rose said as they started walking again, Martha following this time.  "Most of the time, history has ways of correcting itself, just compensating around time travelers.  Aside from fixed events and paradoxes, so long as you keep out of big events, it’s pretty straightforward."

"Oh, we’re supposed to keep _out_ of big events?” the Doctor asked, sounding completely surprised.  “ _That’s_ what I’ve been doing wrong all these years!”

"Oi!" Rose cried, nudging him with her shoulder.  "I was just trying to help her."

Martha stared at Rose’s back, resentment rising up.  She doubted this girl had any real concept of time-travel, regardless of how long she’d spent with the Doctor, but if he thought it was fine, then it probably was.  What could he possibly see in her?  Oh, she might be brave, alright, and only _mostly_ human, but still…he was a genius alien who could save her life and everyone else’s at that hospital, memorized galactic law, knew insane things about apparently every piece of technology he touched…and she was just a chav from the Estates.  Probably didn’t even finish school.

"So this is London, yeah?" she said finally, shaking off her thoughts.  After all, Rose was probably just as surprised at her luck as Martha was.

"I think so," the Doctor said.  "Right about 1599."

"Oh, but hold on," she said.  "Am I all right?  I’m not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" he asked, turning to her again with a confused expression.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven’t noticed," she said, gesturing to her face.

"I’m not even human," he said with a shrug.  "Just walk about like you own the place.  Works for me. Besides, you’d be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time.  Look over there," he said, pointing.  "They’ve got recycling." He nodded at two men conversing around a water barrel.  "Water cooler moment."

"…and the world will be consumed by flame!" cried a preacher as they passed.

"Global warming," Rose said with a grin.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, then looked around.  "And…entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I’m right, we’re just down the river by Southwark right next to…" He trailed off and jogged away, pulling Rose away with him and forcing Martha to follow behind.

"Oh, yes!" he cried, rounding the corner and releasing Rose’s hand to gesture expansively.  "The Globe Theatre!  Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it’s not a globe; it’s a tetradecagon—14 sides—containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don’t mean…" Martha started, looking at the happy grin on his face.  "Is Shakespeare in there?"

"Oh, yes," he said, and Rose groaned.

"Problem?" Martha asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Several," Rose said, shaking her head and eyeing the Doctor, who giggled.  "One, I’m not actually a fan of Shakespeare.  Two, the Doctor is a _huge_ fan of Shakespeare.”

"What’s wrong with that?" Martha asked.  "Shakespeare is…well…a legend."

"Oh, I know," Rose said darkly, and the Doctor’s grin widened.  Martha couldn’t help feeling like she was missing something, but she felt good knowing that she had something in common with the Doctor that Rose didn’t.

"Miss Jones," he said, holding out his arm.  "Will you accompany me to the theater?"

She giggled and linked her arm with his.  “Yes, Mr Tyler, I will.”

She glanced back at Rose, who rolled her eyes and shook her head before following them.

"When you get home," the Doctor was saying, "you can tell everyone you’ve seen Shakespeare."

"Then I could get sectioned!" she said with happy sarcasm, and the other two laughed.

They saw _Love’s Labor’s Lost_ , standing in the yard.  Martha was entranced at seeing the play done as it was originally intended, too much so to complain about the conditions.  Not that she would have anyway.  If Rose could put up with it without even _liking_ Shakespeare, then so could she.

"That’s amazing!" she cried as the actors took their bows, clapping heartily.  "Just amazing.  It’s worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes," the Doctor quipped.

"Where’s Shakespeare?" she asked.  "I wanna see Shakespeare. Author! Author!" she started chanting, her fist in the air, and the other two stared at her.  "Do people shout that?  Do they shout ‘Author’?"

A man behind them picked up the chant, and it soon spread through the crowd as they looked around.

"Well…they do now," the Doctor said.

Then _he_ came out, the man himself, Shakespeare, taking an exaggerated bow and blowing kisses to the audience.  They went wild, clapping and cheering even louder, though Martha looked at him a bit critically.

"He’s a bit different from his portraits," she commented.

"Genius," the Doctor said, leaning closer so Martha could hear him above the din.  "He’s a genius – _the_ genius. The most human Human that’s ever been. Now we’re gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words.  New, beautiful, brilliant words.”

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted at them.

Rose took one look at the Doctor’s face and burst into laughter.

"Maybe he’s not so bad after all," she said with a cheeky grin as the Doctor eyed her, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, well," he said in a disappointed voice.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha said sympathetically.

"You have excellent taste, I’ll give you that," Shakespeare said to the crowd, then pointed at one man.  "Oh, that’s a wig!" he said, making the crowd laugh again.  "I know what you’re all saying.  _Love’s Labor’s Lost_ , that’s a funny ending, isn’t it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don’t get your hose in a tangle, you’ll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don’t rush a genius.”  He bowed graciously, but then jerked upright oddly.  Martha saw both the Doctor and Rose stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

"When?" the playwright asked.  "Tomorrow night.  The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it _Loves Labor’s Won_!”

"Doctor," Rose said quietly.  "That’s not right."

"I know," he replied, watching Shakespeare closely.  "I felt it too.  Where’s it coming from, though?"

"What are you talking about?" Martha asked as the Doctor turned, craning his neck to look at the balcony.  "I didn’t feel anything."

"No, you wouldn’t have," he said absently.  "Humans don’t.  Too subtle."

"She’s human," Martha pointed out, nodding at Rose.

"Only mostly," he said distractedly, then turned, taking Rose’s hand and weaving out through the crowds.  "C’mon."

"I thought _Love’s Labor’s Won_ was some kind of huge mystery,” Rose said as they made it outside.

"Exactly," the Doctor said.  "The lost play. It doesn’t exist — only in rumors.  It’s mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disk or something?" Martha asked.  "We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

The Doctor looked at her for a moment.  “No.”

"That would be bad?"

"Yeah," he said, arching an eyebrow.  "Yeah."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" she asked.

"Trouble?" Rose asked, sounding almost pleased.  The Doctor smirked and rolled his eyes, then looked at Martha critically, as if sizing her up.

"Well…I was just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS," he said slowly.  "But…I suppose we could stay a _bit_ longer.”

He grinned at Martha, who couldn’t help getting a little thrill.  Their enthusiasm for harrowing adventure, it seemed, was contagious.  And she certainly wasn’t going to object to getting a further look around Shakespearean London; after all, it’s not like she was likely to get another chance.

They made their way to an inn, the Doctor explaining that this was where Shakespeare stayed while he was in town.  He had a house and wife in the country, but he would spend weeks at a time in town working on plays…among other things.

They were met inside by the innkeeper, Dolly, who led them up to the room Shakespeare was in with two of the actors.

"Hello!" the Doctor called as he knocked on the open door.  "Excuse me! I’m not interrupting, am I? Mr Shakespeare, isn’t it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no," Shakespeare said, hiding his face in his hand.  "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can’t have yourself sketched with me. And please don’t ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove—" he stopped as Rose and Martha stepped around the Doctor and into the room.  "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go," he finished, waving off the actors.

"Come on, lads," Dolly said, stepping in to bustle the actors away.  "I think our William’s found himself a couple of new muses."

"Sweet ladies," he said as Rose and Martha sat down, giving them both looks of open appreciation.  "Such unusual clothes.  So…fitted."

"Um, verily," Martha said as the Doctor frowned, hovering behind Rose.  "Forsooth, egads."

"No…no," the Doctor said softly while Rose seemed to choke.  "Don’t do that. Don’t."  He turned back to Shakespeare, putting a hand on Rose’s shoulder as he reached past her to show the playwright something written on a piece of paper in a leather wallet.  "I’m Sir Doctor of TARDIS, my wife, Dame Rose, and our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting, that bit of paper," Shakespeare said.  "It’s blank."

"Oh, that’s…very clever," the Doctor said, an impressed smile coming across his face.  "That proves it. Absolute genius."

"No, it says so right there," Martha said, peering at the paper.  "Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it’s blank," Shakespeare insisted.

"Psychic paper," the Doctor said, putting it away.  "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch."

"Basically, it says whatever you want it to say," Rose said.  "Only geniuses and people with psychic training will see blank paper."

"Psychic," Shakespeare repeated.  "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?  More’s the point, who are your lovely companions, the flaxen haired beauty and this delicious blackamoor lady?"

"What did you say?" Martha asked, stunned.

"Oops. Isn’t that a word we use nowadays?" he asked.  "An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric…"

"I can’t believe I’m hearing this," Martha said while Rose snorted with laughter.

"It’s political correctness gone mad," the Doctor said, rubbing at his eye.  "Um, they’re from a far-off land. Freedonia."

Shakespeare cast another look of appraisal at Rose, but then exchanged a look with the Doctor as the latter tightened his hand on Rose’s shoulder with a frown and an arched brow.  The playwright turned back to Martha with renewed interest, but was interrupted before he could say anything else.

"Excuse me!  Hold hard a moment," said a voice from the door, and they turned.  "This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed. "

"Tomorrow morning," Shakespeare said.  "First thing, I’ll send it ‘round."

"I don’t work to your schedule," the man said.  "You work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can’t," Shakespeare said in a hard voice.

"Then tomorrow’s performance is cancelled," the man said.

"It’s all go, ‘round here, isn’t it?" Martha said quietly.

"I’m returning to my office for a banning order," the man continued.  "If it’s the last thing I do, ‘Love’s Labours Won’ will never be played."

He turned on his heel and walked back out, and they turned back to Shakespeare, who was smirking.

"Lynley," Shakespeare sneered.  "He has a far greater love of power than art."

"Well, then…mystery solved," Martha said.  The Doctor and Rose might have a flair for the dramatics, but sometimes a cigar was just a cigar.  Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed after what had already happened that day.  "That’s _Love’s Labor’s Won_ over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know…more mysterious.”

Rose stiffened again in her chair.  “Wouldn’t be too sure of that,” she said, just before they heard a scream from outside.  She and the Doctor immediately sprinted for the door, Martha and Shakespeare following close behind.  Outside, they saw Lynley staggering through the street amongst onlookers, water gushing from his mouth.

"Lynley," Rose said stepping forward.

"What’s wrong with him?" the Doctor asked, more to himself than anything.  "Leave it to me— I’m a doctor."

"So am I–near enough," Martha said, following the Doctor to the man’s side.  Rose raced down the street, peering into the shadows for something.

They watched, helpless, as Lynley continued to spit up water before gasping and falling to the ground.  The Doctor ran to Rose.

"Anything?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said.  "I don’t get it.  I felt…something…but I can’t tell where it’s coming from.  Almost like two places at once."

"This is bad," he said.  "C’mon."

He took her arm and pulled her back over to where Lynley lay on the ground, Martha hovering over him.  The Doctor knelt by him again as more water spewed from the dead man’s mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"I’ve never seen a death like it," the Doctor said.  "His lungs are full of water — he drowned and then… I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow."  He stared for another moment before getting to his feet and turning to Dolly.  "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir," the innkeeper said, and the Doctor crouched back down over Lynley.

"This isn’t natural," Rose said.

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," the Doctor muttered.  "If I tell them the truth, they’ll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?" Martha asked.

He exchanged a dark look with Rose.  “Witchcraft.”

oOoOo

"I’ve got you a room, Sir Doctor," Dolly said as they returned to Shakespeare’s room to regroup.  "I’m sorry, but I’ve only got the one…your companion will have to share with you and your wife.  It’s just down the hall."

The Doctor simply nodded, looking thoughtful, his hand on Rose’s neck stroking her skin lightly.

"Poor Lynley," Shakespeare said.  "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha said, arching a brow.

"And you, Sir Doctor," he said.  "How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor said evenly, and Martha turned to him.  She had no idea how old he was.  He didn’t look more than thirty-five, but there were some moments…she shook herself.

"A trite reply," Shakespeare said.  "Yeah, that’s what I’d do.  And your lovely wife…there is more to her than meets the eye as well.  The light to your dark, but she seems as if she could at any moment throw her head back and howl at the moon."

"Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?" Rose asked with a smile, and the Doctor smirked and kissed her hair lightly as Martha stared.

"And you," Shakespeare said, turning back to Martha.  "You look at them like you’re surprised they exist. They are as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

"I think we should say good night," Martha said hurriedly.  She left the other two to say their good nights and walked quickly to their assigned room.  At least now she’d have an excuse to get some sleep.  She didn’t know what to make of this whole…everything.  Witchcraft and Shakespeare, and a man who could kiss her and come back for her, even having the whole universe at his fingertips, but apparently was only interested in a blonde human that wasn’t human from nowhere.  She could only hope that _something_ would make more sense after some sleep.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the other two enter the room behind her.

"It’s not exactly five-star, is it?" she commented.

"Trust me, we’ve seen worse," Rose said, looking around.  "Although, those prison cells on Gravalion…oh…"

"Made me want to get arrested again just for a decent night’s sleep," the Doctor agreed, looking out the window.

Martha glanced between them, then shook her head.  “I haven’t even got a toothbrush,” she said.

"Oh," the Doctor said, turning to her and patting his pockets before pulling out a toothbrush.  "Contains Venusian spearmint."

"So, who’s going where?" Martha asked as she took the toothbrush gingerly.  "I mean, there’s only one bed."

"You can have it," the Doctor said lightly.  "We…don’t sleep much.  We’ll be fine."

"So, magic and stuff," Martha said awkwardly as she sat on the bed.  "That’s a surprise. It’s a little bit ‘Harry Potter’."

"Wait till you read Book Seven," the Doctor said, sitting down on a bench near the window.  "Rose cried."

"Oi, so did you!" Rose shot back, poking him in the ribs as she sat next to him.  "He was even worse than me!"

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked.  "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it’s real?"

"‘Course it isn’t," the Doctor scoffed.

"Well, how am I supposed to know?" Martha demanded.  "I’ve only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

"Ignore him," Rose said.  "He thrives at being rude and generally insulting.  So, it looks like witchcraft, but isn’t?"

"Can’t be," he said.   "There’s such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn’t channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we’d have spotted that.  No. There’s something I’m missing."

_How about the fact that you’re apparently mad about a girl with no hope of deserving you_? Martha thought, but immediately felt bad.  Rose was making it really difficult to actively dislike her.  She’d been nothing but nice.  What was it Shakespeare said?  The light to his darkness?  How?  The man was one of the most cheerful people she’d ever met.

"Okay, so there must be something else here," Rose said.  "You said a human couldn’t channel it, but who says it’s human?  Is there a species you know of who have attributes like witches?"

"Mmm…maybe," he said, rubbing his eye.  "Most of them are gone though.  The ones that didn’t disappear back in the Dark Times were…well…they’re gone now.  Still, something to think about," he said as Martha looked at him curiously.  "Martha, get some sleep.  I’ll take you back home tomorrow."

"Great," she said, miffed as she leaned over to blow out the candle.


	10. The Shakespeare Code (part 2)

The Doctor leaned back, sitting sideways on the bench with one foot resting on the bench and the other on the floor, while Rose rested against his chest.  Martha was asleep, had been almost as soon as she blew out the candle.  Rose had been dozing for about half an hour, which meant she’d probably be stirring again soon.  Since she’d told him her secrets, she’d given up pretending to need a full eight hours of sleep every night.  She still needed more than him, but was usually rested after only a couple of hours a night, and could go as long as two or three days before exhaustion really took hold, though that would take more recovery time.  Often, now, when they were on adventures that lasted more than a day, she would simply snooze when she got the chance to keep herself in good condition rather than attempt any kind of deep sleep.  He had to admit that it was nice that he didn’t feel like he was wasting half her life waiting for her to wake up anymore.

Now, he was staring out the window thoughtfully.  Witches…but not witches.  Maybe not humans.  Some sort of psychic energy, something Rose had felt too, which was…unexpected.  Wasn’t the first time…but that wasn’t priority right now.  Any species that could do that was gone, or at least should be.  What would it be doing here, now?

"Figure it out yet?" Rose asked softly, so as not to wake Martha.

"Not yet," he replied, rubbing her arm gently in a distracted way.  "It just doesn’t make any sense."

"You’ll make sense of it," she assured him confidently.  "You always do."

He pressed a kiss to her head and nuzzled her hair gently.  She always had such faith in him.  From the first moment.

"Rose?" he asked.  "What happened in Downing Street?  The first time, I mean?"

As a rule, he didn’t ask about specifics of her first time round with him, other than things they’d talked about that first week or so after he’d learned about her rewriting scheme; it didn’t matter, and with how concerned she’d been about unintentionally manipulating him, it wasn’t worth the pain it might cause either of them.  But this one he’d been curious about.  She’d had so much faith in him.  Had she really always?  Or was it just because she knew they’d survive?

"Same thing, more or less," she said with a shrug.  "I didn’t yell at Mum…wanted to, but I didn’t know what to say.  But I still told you to do it, because what you were doing was important for the whole planet.  And I still saved us by clearing out a cupboard," she added, grinning up at him.

"Of course you did," he murmured with a smile, the hand on her waist running lightly over her bottom ribs.  Always, then…even when she really _was_ just the young shop girl he’d thought her to be.  It didn’t surprise him—he didn’t think she’d ever been ordinary, regardless of her space-time antics—but he liked knowing that small piece, that one moment that had so endeared her to him, was the same every time he witnessed it.

"You did it again, you know," she said after a moment.

"What’s that?" he asked.

"Introduced me as your wife."

"Well…you saw how Will was with Martha," he said, arching an eyebrow and scratching the back of his head with his free hand as he looked out the window again.  "I couldn’t very well have him thinking you were available too."

Rose looked up and studied him as he gazed out the window.  It was strange, the dichotomy with which he approached their relationship.  He was thrilled that she was going to last forever, while at the same time seemed terrified at the prospect of marriage, even though he used it as a convenience more than once now.  It wasn’t that she was itching for it, but she couldn’t help noting with amusement how domestics and the Doctor would never get along.

Her gaze wandered to the sleeping Martha.  She doubted the Doctor was aware of the fact that Martha was already completely infatuated with him…or of the other girl’s dislike of her.  Martha hadn’t actually been rude, but Rose hadn’t missed the looks or the chilly responses she’d gotten from the medical student.  She didn’t hold the crush against Martha—the Doctor hadn’t exactly made it easy on her, and he always made it almost effortless to fall for him, whether he knew it or not—but she couldn’t help wondering what would have happened between them, in this tiny room in the 16th century, had he lost her months before…

"Must be tied to Shakespeare," she whispered, pulling her thoughts back to the present, and the Doctor looked back down at her.  "First it was him at the Globe, then someone who tried to stop his play.  But why?"

He frowned, but before he could say anything else, a scream ripped through the night, and they both surged to their feet and bolted for the door before Martha was even fully awake.  They careened into Shakespeare’s room to see Dolly lying on the floor.  The Doctor knelt over her as Rose rushed to the window, just as Martha came into the room.  Her eyes narrowed when she saw the silhouette of a cackling witch take off on a broomstick.

"Her heart gave out," the Doctor said behind her.  "She died of fright."

"Doctor?" Rose called.

"What did you see?" he asked, hurrying over to her.

"A witch," she said, turning to look up at him.

oOoOo

At dawn, the body had been removed, and the Doctor and Martha sat at Shakespeare’s desk with him while Rose paced behind them thoughtfully.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare said.  "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

“‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light’,” the Doctor quoted.

"I might use that," Shakespeare said.

"You can’t," the Doctor said.  "It’s someone else’s."

"But the thing is," Martha said, frowning.  "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

"You’re accusing me?" Shakespeare asked in disbelief.

"No one’s accusing anyone," Rose said.  "Not yet, anyhow.  But she’s right.  Somehow, it’s got to do with you and your play, Shakespeare."  She looked down at the Doctor as he looked up at her, both thinking hard.  "Looks like a witch, sounds like a witch, _flies_ like a witch…”

"…But isn’t a witch," the Doctor said, frowning.  "What is it?  What’s here?  And why’re they so interested in him?"

"Something to do with the play," she said.  "But why?  What’s so important about a lost play?"

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare chimed in, and they both turned to stare at him.

"Who’s Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder," he said.  "He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," the Doctor said, then sat up straighter.  "Hold on. The architect! The architect!"  He slammed his fist on the table as inspiration hit him.   "The Globe! Come on!"

He touched Rose’s arm as he stood and they both rushed off, leaving the other two to trail behind.  Once in the theater, the Doctor wandered around the yard while the other three wound their way onto the stage, Rose sitting down at the edge as she watched him.

"The columns there, right? 14 sides," the Doctor said, looking around slowly.  "I’ve always wondered but I never asked… tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that’s all," Shakespeare said with a shrug.  "Said it carried the sound well."

"Why does that ring a bell? 14…" the Doctor trailed off thoughtfully.

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet," Martha suggested.

"So there is," he said as he started pacing.  "Good point. Words and shapes following the same design.  14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets…Oh, my head.  Tetradecagon… think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theater," Shakespeare said.

"But it’s not," Rose said, looking around, and the Doctor stopped and looked at her.  "The things you write, Will, the things that take place here…whole worlds are created.  That’s magic all by itself."

"Stand on this stage," the Doctor said, coming closer to stand right in front of Rose, putting his hands on the stage on either side of her and looking up at Shakespeare.  "Say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time… Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people’s minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that…" he trailed off and pushed off the stage to pace again, his hands buried in his pockets.

"It’s like your police box," Martha said.  "Small wooden box with all that _power_ inside.”

"Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you," he said, grinning up at her.  "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can we talk to him?"

"You won’t get an answer," Shakespeare said.  "A month after finishing this place… lost his mind."

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling," Shakespeare said, shrugging.  "His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" the Doctor asked.

"Bedlam," Shakespeare replied, a tad ominously, and Rose exchanged a glance with the Doctor.

"What’s Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital," the playwright told her.  "The madhouse."

"We’re gonna go there. Right now," the Doctor said, grabbing Rose round the waist and lifting her down from the stage.  "Come on."

He strode out, slipping between the actors coming in smoothly, pulling Rose behind him, hardly pausing before making sure the other two had followed.

"Bit too coincidental that he gets locked away because he’s seeing witches just after finishing this place," Rose said as they hurried through the streets.

"Without a doubt," the Doctor said.  "They can drown a man who’s nowhere near water and scare a woman who’s survived everything else to death…they can certainly snap a man’s senses like a twig.  But _why_?” he asked, sounding more frustrated.  “Why…why _all_ of it?  What’s the point?  And why fourteen?”

"It’s important to whatever they are," Rose said thoughtfully.  "They’re not human, we know that.  So what species is the number fourteen significant to?  One that can also look like and act like witches?"

"Not anything that should still exist," he said, frowning.  “Fourteen…it could be…no, but they’ve been gone for…oh, as near to forever as you can get.  Wasn’t even sure they existed at all.”  He paused, brow furrowed, then looked down at her and smiled suddenly.  "Tell you what though…you are really brilliant.  If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were still dropping hints of things you already knew."

"Well, gotta give you a reason to keep me around," she said with a smile.

"Oh, I’ve got _lots_ of reasons to keep you around,” he said with a rakish grin that made her blush before looking around.  “Hold on, where’d they go?”

He made an irritated noise when he saw them stopped and talking several feet behind them.

"But Martha," Shakespeare was whining as they got closer.  "This is Town."

"Come on," the Doctor said.  "We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Oh…fifty-seven academics just punched the air," he said.  "Now move!"

He spun again and hurried off, casting dark looks at Rose as she giggled. 

He slowed and pulled Rose closer as they neared the hospital, pinning her to his side and keeping her far from the cells as he looked around angrily.  His dislike of hospitals aside, this was no place of healing.  He gave Peter’s name to the guard with difficulty as he tried to unclench his jaw.  He could feel the fear and the pain and the madness coming off these people in waves, feelings made worse by an unfeeling society and sadistic treatment.

"Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits?" the guard asked.  "I’d whip these madmen. They’ll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

"No, I don’t!" he snapped.

"Wait here, my lords," the guard said, stepping back hurriedly, "while I make him decent for the ladies."

"Some hospital," Rose said, looking around with a mix of anger and sadness.  "Put in a cell?  Left to rot and be whipped for entertainment?  Hell of a healing process."

"And you put your friend in here?" Martha asked disdainfully.

"Oh, and it’s all so different in Freedonia," Shakespeare scoffed.

"But you’re clever!" Martha argued.  "Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I’ve been mad," Shakespeare said in a hollow voice.  "I’ve lost my mind.  Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?" Martha asked.

"You lost your son," the Doctor said softly, his grip on Rose tightening as his body tensed.  Not an easy subject for him, the loss of family, even on the periphery like this.  Rose moved so she could wrap an arm around his waist, and he relaxed slightly.

"My only boy," Shakespeare said.  "The Black Death took him. I wasn’t even there."

"I didn’t know," Martha said.  "I’m sorry."

"It made me question everything," he said.  "The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be… oh, that’s quite good."

"You should write that down," the Doctor said, his lips twitching.

"Hm, maybe not," Shakespeare said thoughtfully.  "A bit pretentious?"

"Eh," the Doctor said, shrugging as the guard called for them down the corridor.  They followed him to Peter Streete’s cell in silence, and he unlocked the door, leading them in.

"They can be dangerous, m’lord," the guard cautioned.  "Don’t know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don’t whip them," the Doctor said angrily.  "Now get out!"

The guard left and the Doctor approached Peter slowly.

"Peter?" he said softly as he knelt before him.  "Peter Streete?"

"He’s the same as he was," Shakespeare said, and the Doctor glanced up at him.  "You’ll get nothing out of him."

"Peter?" the Doctor called again, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder.  At that, his head snapped up, and the Doctor stared at the wide glassy eyes.  He knew instantly that he wasn’t going to get anything out of him in this state.  He raised his hands, placing his fingers gently on the man’s temples and closing his eyes as he entered the broken and tortured mind.

"Peter, I’m the Doctor," he said softly, opening his eyes again.  "Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter’s tale. Let go. Listen.  That’s it, just let go," he said as Peter fell, laying him gently down on his cot.  "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter," the architect said.  "In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design! The 14 walls — always 14. When the work was done—“ he let out a nervous giggle “—they snapped poor Peter’s wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches?" the Doctor asked.  "Where in the city?  Peter, tell me. You’ve got to tell me, where were they?"

"All Hallows Street," Peter whispered.

"Too many words," screeched the woman that appeared suddenly next to the Doctor, making him jump up and join the others.  She looked like a haggard old woman, her face wrinkled and her grey hair stringy around her face, her skin greenish and body garbed in a loose black shroud.

"What the hell?" Martha said, staring at the newcomer.

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch said, laying a hand on Peter’s chest.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted, stepping forward, but it was too late.  A scream turned into a sigh, and poor Peter was gone.

"Witch!" Shakespeare cried.  "I’m seeing a witch!"

"Who would be next, hmm?" the witch said.  "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I’ll stop your frantic hearts.  Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out!" Martha yelled, banging on the door.  "Let us out!"

"Martha, everyone’s shouting that," Rose said.  "No one’s going to come."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch asked gleefully.

"You’re not getting volunteers here," the Doctor said.  "I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else."

"No mortal has power over me," the witch said.

"Oh, but there’s a power in words," he said, circling around.  "In ideas, shapes…names,” he added, eyeing her.  “Just a matter of finding the right one."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," the witch snapped.

"Then it’s a good thing I’m here," he said, rocking back on his heels.  "’Cause I reckon I’ve got a pretty good idea already.  Let’s see, humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy…and, of course—“  He paused, arching an eye brow at Rose.

“Fourteen,” she said quickly, her lips twitching.

“Fourteen,” he repeated.  “The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration.”  He paused again, standing to his full commanding height and pointing to the crone.  “Creature, I name you Carrionite!”

With those words, the witch wailed and disappeared.

"What the hell was that?" Rose asked, stunned.

"I named her," he said, dropping his hand and relaxing again.  "The power of a name. That’s old magic," he added, throwing a grin at her.

"But there’s no such thing as magic," Martha said.

"Well, it’s just a different sort of science," the Doctor said, shrugging.  "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom.  Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.

The Doctor looked at Rose.  “Oh…the usual.”

"What’s ‘the usual’?" Martha asked.

"The end of the world," Rose said.

oOoOo

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe," the Doctor said once they’d made their way back to the inn.  "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I’m going for real," Shakespeare said.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth," the Doctor said.  "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?" she asked.

"Will, what were you doing in here last night?" Rose asked suddenly, and the Doctor glanced at her curiously.

"Finishing the play," Shakespeare said with a shrug.

"How’s it end?" she asked, thinking hard.  Words.  Words with power.  Words with power in a place of magic…she looked at the Doctor and saw him staring at her with the same look of furiously turning wheels.

"The boys get the girls," Shakespeare said.  "They have a bit of a dance. It’s all as funny and thought provoking as usual — except those last few lines. Funny thing is… I don’t actually remember writing them."

"That’s it," the Doctor said, turning to look at the playwright.  "They used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. _Love’s Labor’s Won_ —it’s a weapon!  The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play’s the thing! And yes, you can have that.”

He rummaged through the drawers and cupboards until he found a map, laying it out and twisting it until he found what he was looking for.

"All Hallows Street, there it is," he said, jabbing a finger at the map, then looked up at Rose.  "Right, I’ll take the house with Martha."

"Which leaves me with Will and the theater," she said, nodding.  "Gotcha."

"Whatever you do, stop that play," he said, turning to Shakespeare as he said this.

"I’ll do it," Shakespeare said, shaking the Doctor’s hand.  "All these years I’ve been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

"Oh, don’t complain," Martha said.

"I’m not," he said.  "It’s marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," he said, releasing his hand and moving around the table to Rose.  "And _you_ ,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and tilting her chin up with his fingers under her jaw.  “Be careful.  Let’s skip the jeopardy-friendly bit this time, yeah?”

"But then why would I need a Doctor?" she asked with that tongue in teeth grin that made him crazy.  He growled before leaning down to kiss her fiercely.  "Good luck," she said softly as he cupped her cheek.

"And you," he said, then pulled away.  "Right, Martha Jones, come with me.  Once more into the breach!" he shouted as he headed for the door with Martha.

"I like that," Shakespeare said.  "Wait a minute… that’s one of mine."

"Oh, just shift!" Rose said, pushing him towards the door.

"The Doctor is not the mystery to you that he is to everyone else," Shakespeare said as they hurried through the streets.  "All the world may be a stage, but I think, with you, he doesn’t act."

Rose cut a look at him, unsure how to respond.  That was…true enough.  And part of the reason she’d agreed to only give Martha one trip.  She liked the more relaxed Doctor that she had when it was just the two of them.

"I just know him better than most," she said finally.  "We’ve spent a lot of time together."

"He hides an enormous amount of pain and darkness," Shakespeare commented.  "He dances to distract himself as well as others.  You give him balance that he would lack otherwise.  It is well that you are married."

"Yeah, we’re not actually married," Rose said uncomfortably.

"Perhaps not in any sanctified way," Shakespeare said, "but trust me on this—you two are more married than I."

Rose glanced at him again.  It was a little eerie, the observations this man could make so flippantly.  “Yeah, well…let’s just go stop the play, yeah?” she mumbled finally, and he laughed but hurried on with her.

They rushed into the theater, and Rose followed him round the back and onto the stage.

"Stop the play!" Shakespeare shouted, bursting on from backstage, Rose following closely.  "I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but stop. This performance must end immediately!

"Everyone’s a critic," muttered one of the actors.

"I’m sorry," Shakespeare continued as the crowd booed.  "You’ll get a refund.  But this play must not be performed!"

Rose felt another knock of the Carrionite psychic energy, and shouted wordlessly just as Shakespeare fell unconscious to the stage.

"Is he drunk or what?" one of the actors asked as Rose knelt next to him.

"No, he was trying to warn you," Rose said quickly.  "This play is wrong."

"I dunno who you think you are," said the actor that had spoken before.  "But one night with the author doesn’t give you grounds for direction.  Someone, get them both out of here."

She felt hands around both of her arms and kicked as she was pulled forcibly from the stage, then thrown out the side door of the theater.  She turned quickly, but the door was already closed and bolted.  She banged on it and shouted, but to no avail.  She ran to find another door, but felt another wave of the psychic energy slam into her, and everything went black.


	11. The Shakespeare Code (part 3)

Martha had been thrilled initially when the Doctor had chosen to take her with him over Rose…until he made it painfully clear this was only because he trusted Rose on her own.  And the kiss…and the way he’d looked at her…but it made no _sense_.

"So, you and Rose," she said as they hurried to All Hallow’s Street.  "You’re like…together, then?  Properly together?"

"Not really the time for personal questions, Martha," the Doctor said, pushing past a group of people before scanning their surroundings and turning another corner.

"It’s just a yes or no," she said, arching an eyebrow.  "It’s not even a hard question."

"All Hallows Street," the Doctor said, walking out of an alley and turning around to scan the area, ignoring her completely.  "But which house?"

Martha gaped at him for a moment, then shut her mouth and tried to turn her mind back to the situation at hand.  She’d heard of closed books before, but this one was practically a vault.

"The thing is, though…" she said slowly, looking around.  "Am I missing something here? The world didn’t end in 1599. It just didn’t. Look at me—I’m living proof."

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" he said, running his hand through his hair.  "Rose is better at dumbing it down…OH! I know! ‘Back to the Future’! It’s like ‘Back to the Future’!"

"The film?" Martha said, her brain still locked around the idea of someone like Rose dumbing down anything for _her_.

"No, the novelization," he snapped impatiently.  "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away," she said.  "Oh my God, am I gonna fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race," he said.  "It ends right now in 1599 if we don’t stop it. But which house?"

They turned as a door on the corner nearest them creaked open.

"Ah," he said.  "Make that _witch_ house.”

The Doctor looked around warily as they walked inside.  He could feel the residue left behind by so much psychic energy being harnessed in one place.  They’d been holed up here for a while.  He could see vague shadows of dirty deeds already committed, people lost long before he’d even gotten here, and shivered.  He stepped through a curtain to see a figure already waiting.  She didn’t look like the others…but it was just a mask.  One he’d seen before…Lilith, the maid.  He wondered briefly why he hadn’t seen through it before.  Probably because he didn’t believe they actually still existed before.  When was he going to get over that arrogance?

"I take it we’re expected," he said quietly.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," she said, but he simply arched an eyebrow.

"Right then, it’s my turn," Martha said, stepping forward.  "I know how to do this.  I name thee, Carrionite!" she cried, pointing her finger.

Lilith gasped, but then let out a cackle, and the Doctor tensed, watching her warily.

"What did I do wrong?" Martha asked, disappointed.  "Was it the finger?"

"The power of a name works only once," Lilith said.  "Observe.  I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones," she intoned, pointing at Martha, who immediately collapsed, the Doctor barely catching her in time to lower her to the ground.

"What have you done?" he shouted furiously, kneeling next to the stricken girl.

"Only sleeping, alas," she said.  "Curious, the name has less impact. She’s somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor—" she pointed, then stopped as he looked up at her coldly.  "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look.  There’s still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won’t work on me," he said quietly, sure she was going to try to name his home planet or something similar.

"Oh, a heart so filled with guilt and woes," she said.  "Who can save thee, but a stunning…Rose?"

He felt the blast of energy as a buzzing shock through his nerves before it shot past him.  He surged to his feet, towering over her as he trembled with fury.  “Oh, big mistake.  If there’s one thing someone can do to ensure their rapid destruction, it’s hurt her.  The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?”

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness," she said, moving away from him, trying to appear casual, but he could taste the tiniest spark of fear in the air between them.  Good.  Fear would be healthy right now.

"And how did you escape?" he asked, keeping his voice even as he watched her.

"New words," she said.  "New and glittering from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare," he breathed.

"His son perished," Lilith said.  "The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?" he asked.

"Just the three," she said.  Three.  He could handle three.  But…there was only one here.  That…could be bad.  "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm…busy schedule…" he commented, advancing on her.  "But first you’ve gotta get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape," she said, running her hands through his hair and down his face.

"Now, that’s one form of magic that’s _definitely_ not gonna work on me,” he said.  He reached up and grabbed her wrists just as he heard a snip near his ear.  He turned his head to see a pair of pincers in her hand, trapping a lock of his hair.  “Looking for a souvenir?”

He released one of her hands to reach for it, but she twisted and pulled away.  He lunged forward to grab at her, but the window behind her burst open as she raised her arms and flew backwards.

"Well, that’s just cheating," he complained mildly from the window sill.

"Behold, Doctor," she said.  "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

She pulled out a doll from somewhere in her shroud and wrapped the hair around it.

"Now, you might call that magic," he said slowly.  "I’d call that a DNA replication module."

"What use is your science now?" she asked, then stabbed the doll.

The Doctor cried out at the sudden sharp pain in his chest, falling to the floor as black spots danced in his vision.  He vaguely heard Lilith cackle, a sound that faded as she, presumably, flew away.  He stayed still, closing his eyes and concentrating on his shallow breaths.  After a few seconds, he heard Martha stir and groan on the other side of the room.

"Oh my God! Doctor!" she cried as she caught sight of him and scrambled to his side.  "Don’t worry, I’ve got you."  He sucked in another breath as she attempted to roll him onto his back.

"Two hearts," he wheezed, attempting to stand, but only making it to his knees before nearly falling over again.  "I’ve only got one heart working.  How do you people _cope_?  I’ve got to get the other one started.  Hit me!  Hit me in the chest!” He cried out as she followed his instructions…sort of.  “Other side,” he said through gritted teeth, then leaned over once she managed it.  “On the back…gah…little to the left!  Ah, lovely!” he cried as the pain vanished and blood flow returned to his extremities, standing happily.  “There we go! Bada boom!  Well, what are you standing there for?  C’mon.”

He hurried out of the house, pulling his phone out as he walked.

"What’re you gonna do with that?" Martha asked, jogging by his side.

"Gonna call Rose, make sure she’s okay," he said, flipping it open.  "They named her too."

"But…it’s 1599," Martha said, and he glanced at her with an arched brow.  "Not exactly a whole lot of cell phone towers built yet."

"I travel in time and space in a wooden box that’s bigger on the inside and you still think I need cell phone towers?" he asked, putting the phone up to his ear as it started ringing.

"H’lo?" came Rose’s voice, a bit rough, but definitely alive and conscious.

"Rose!" he shouted, relieved.  "You alright?  Did the play get stopped?"

"Yeah…I’m…oh, boll—“

The call cut off as she hung up on him.  He stared at the phone for a moment before shoving it into his pocket and taking off at a dead run.  Martha kept up best as she could through the streets until they got closer to the Globe.  The Doctor stopped when he heard the screaming and saw the red glow pouring from the top.

"I told thee so!" said the preacher from earlier.  "I told thee!"

"Stage door!" the Doctor shouted, taking off again.  They reached the door just as Rose managed to bash it open with a piece of metal she’d procured from god only knew where.  "What the hell happened?" he shouted as he got closer.  "Stop the play!  Think that was it!"

"Yeah, well, your little witchy friends had other ideas," Rose shouted back as they hurried inside.  "Knocked out the bard here," she said, nodding as they got closer to Shakespeare, "and then I got thrown out.  Then I…dunno.  That energy, and then I was out.  Next thing I knew, the phone was ringing and you were shouting at me."

"They named you," the Doctor said.  "Not their wisest move."  He turned as they heard screams from the stage.  "I think that’s my cue!" he said, grabbing Rose’s hand and pulling her out onto the stage, followed by Martha, who towed Shakespeare along.

They ran out onto the stage, and looked up at the red energy cloud above them, filled with flying and cackling Carrionites.

"What do we do now?" Rose shouted.

The Doctor glanced at her, then turned to Shakespeare, grabbing him by the arm.  “Come on, Will! History needs you!”

"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked.

"Reverse it!" the Doctor shouted.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power," the Doctor said.  "But you’re the wordsmith, the one true genius.  The only man clever enough to do it!"

"But what words?" he practically wailed.  "I have none ready!"

"You’re William Shakespeare!" the Doctor said.

"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision!" Shakespeare shouted.

"Trust yourself," the Doctor said.  "When you’re locked away in your room, the words just come, don’t they?  Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm — words that last forever! That’s what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it.  Improvise!"

He backed up a pace to stand with Rose and Martha, his eyes flicking between Shakespeare and the creatures flying above them.

Shakespeare looked thoughtful for a moment, then stepped forward.  “Close up this den of hateful, dire decay!” he called.  “Decomposition of your witches’ plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!  Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points…” He trailed off and glanced back at the Doctor.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" the Doctor supplied quickly.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" he repeated.  "And banished like a tinker’s cuss, I say to thee…"  He trailed off again, and looked back at the Doctor, who looked blankly back.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha shouted quickly, and Rose and the Doctor grinned at her.

"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor yelled.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare repeated.

"Good old JK!" the Doctor said, still grinning happily as he put an arm around each girl.  The energy cloud suddenly funneled into a point in the stands, pulling the Carrionites, along with every page from the play, into oblivion.

“ _Love’s Labor’s Won_ ,” the Doctor said.  “There it goes.”

The cloud disappeared completely after another moment, and the audience let out a collective sigh before clapping happily.

"I’ll be back," the Doctor whispered against Rose’s ear before ducking out as the actors came on stage to take bows.

"They think it was all special effects," Martha said, staring at the audience.

"Your effect is special indeed," Shakespeare said, eyeing her up and down.

"It’s not your best line," Martha said as Rose started giggling.  Shakespeare stepped between them and led them both to the center of the stage to take a bow.  As they straightened, Rose caught sight of the Doctor in a box seat holding up what looked like a crystal ball.  He doffed an imaginary cap and blew her a kiss before disappearing again.

oOoOo

The Doctor scuffed a trainer on the stage as he wandered in the dark.  It was all over, everything sorted.  Witches’ plot unraveled, mystery of the missing play solved.  Everyone else was drinking, or singing, or laughing, or sleeping…and here he was, in the dark, alone.  Last of the Time Lords.  All the world’s a stage…but at least, for the players here, when the show was done they knew who they were, could go back to their lives and continue living, any misdeeds or sins having been forgotten with a quick change and a curtain call.  Not him.

He didn’t have as many moments like this, not like he used to, of the dark introspection that used to take up every second, that would eventually overwhelm him and send him spinning off into the closest disaster he could find, just so he could run, so he could get away, so he could dance through the flames and forget the others he’d caused.

He didn’t need to run all the time anymore.  She’d changed all that.  She’d torn down his walls and barricades, thrown open all the doors and windows, and let in so much light.  She’d made him feel…worthy, again.  Like the whole might be better than the sum of his parts.

But the demons still sang, and the shadows still danced, and sometimes it occurred to him that he had no idea who to be now.  When he was alone with her, he felt a sort of calm that he’d…never really known.  He didn’t itch to run or change or hide or solve.  He could just…be.  But when it wasn’t just them, when they were out in the real world, he still felt the compulsive need to hide himself away, to protect himself, to keep his secrets close and ordered, to bluff his way through and hope that no one noticed…how bad it still hurt.  How much it all _still hurt_.  The wounds left untreated still burned, and the ones she’d healed had left scars that ached.

She was an anchor, or a balance, or a balm, or whatever.  But she couldn’t take it away.  Not really.  She was still…he’d told her so much, but even she might leave if she knew the rest, how much more there was hiding in the murky recesses of his mind.  She might leave anyway, because eventually…everyone did.

And then he wanted to scream in sheer frustration.  Because she’d worked for two years, two agonizing years in which he’d hurt her and pushed her away and let her get hit with emotional shrapnel over and over, and she’d stayed, and she’d loved him…twice.  The second time even more so, even managed to convince him to strip away some of his battered armor and let her heal him.  Just so that she could give him forever.  Why couldn’t he just let himself be happy?  Why did he have to constantly question, and theorize, and explain away everything that had the possibility of being decent?

Oh…that’s right.  Because, in the end, everything became twisted.  Everything ended in pain and chaos and desperation, leaving him a little more torn, a little more weary, a little more haunted.  He didn’t know what he would have done had she been lost at Canary Wharf, and knew even less now what he would do if she left.  The dependency…was a little worrying, even while it made the ache in his mind that he knew she could never fill throb just a little more in need.  The emptiness left by a dead planet and a doomed race…

"’To be, or not to be’," he called to the empty rafters.  "’That is the question.  Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?"  He paced down toward the edge of the stage.  "To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, ‘tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; for in that sleep of death what dreams may come…’"

He stared into the lonely darkness, waiting for answers that never came.

"’I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick’," came a voice from the eaves, and he spun around.  "’Nobody marks you’."

And there she was, his stunning Rose, carrying a candle and chasing away the darkness, just like she always did.  He couldn’t help but smile.

"’My dear Lady Disdain!’" he called back as she stepped closer.  "’Are you yet living?’"

"’Is it possible disdain should die,’" she said as she stepped past him and used her candle to light the ones at the edge of the stage.  "’While she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick?  Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.’"

He grinned.  Rose couldn’t stand Shakespeare.  And yet, here she was, quoting him flawlessly and making the tight band around his chest weaker with every word.

"’Then is courtesy a turncoat,’" he said.  "’But it is certain I am loved by all the ladies, you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for truly, I love none.’"

"’A dear happiness to women,’" she replied with an arched brow, setting the candle down and straightening.  "’They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor.  I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humor for that: I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.’"

He brought a hand up to his chin, his other arm crossing his chest as he considered her.  The candlelight danced off her blonde hair and in her hazel eyes…she really was breathtaking.

"’Come,’" he said, burying his hands in his pockets and shrugging.  "’I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity.’"

"’I would not deny you,’" she said, her hands in her back pockets and her leg crossing her ankle, the picture of nonchalance as she switched acts with him effortlessly.  "’But, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.’"

"’Peace!’" he said, stepping toward her.  "’I will stop your mouth.’"

He put an arm round her waist and pulled her to him, his other hand moving to cup the back of her head as he kissed her.  He shivered when her own hand went to his hair, and he flicked his tongue along the part in her lips, deepening the kiss hungrily when she opened her mouth to him.

"You don’t even like Shakespeare," he said huskily when he finally broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers.

"Oh, he’s not so bad," she said with a smile.  "He has his moments."

"That he does," the Doctor said, grinning.  "How’d you know where to find me?"

"I know you," she said simply with a little shrug, and he smiled.  She leaned up to kiss him again, and started pushing his heavy coat off his shoulders.

"Rose…" he said, pulling away a fraction and arching an eyebrow at her.  "What are you doing?"

"Come on now, Doctor," she said with a teasing grin.  "How often do you get a chance to dance on a stage as famous as this?"

oOoOo

Martha sat on the stage in the morning light with Shakespeare, feeling decidedly fuzzy.  She had been tired when she’d first jumped into the ship with the Doctor, and then hadn’t had much chance to sleep the first night they’d been here before the screaming started, then last night there had been…lots of beer, as Shakespeare celebrated saving the world with actors who cared less about that then free alcohol.  Needless to say, she hadn’t slept much last night either.  She couldn’t understand how the Doctor and Rose could still be so buoyant…they hadn’t even come back to the inn last night.  She couldn’t help but wonder what had kept them so busy without her.

"And I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer," Shakespeare was saying with a laugh when she tuned back in to the conversation.  She smiled uncomprehendingly.

"I don’t get it," she said.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia," he said.

"OK," she said, thinking quickly.  "Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says ‘oi, mate, you’re bard’." She giggled.

"It’s brilliant!" he said with another laugh.  "Doesn’t make sense, mind you, but never mind that…come here."  He put a hand round her waist and pulled her closer.

"I’ve only just met you," she protested.  Hadn’t stopped her from kissing the Doctor.  Or, at least, from standing happily while he kissed her.

"The Doctor will never kiss you," he said gently.  "Not while he has his Rose. Why not entertain a man who will?"

He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back.  “I don’t know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn’t half stink.”

The Doctor would never see her while Rose was around…but if she could just figure out _why_ he was so besotted by the girl…obviously, she was quick, and brave, and could keep up with the Doctor…but…surely, she’d had a steep learning curve to get to that point.

"Good props store back there!" the Doctor said as he and Rose sauntered onto the stage, pulling her from her thoughts.  "I’m not sure about this though," he added, holding up an animal skull and glancing at Rose.

"Aw, our first Christmas!" Rose said with a giggle.

"Sorry?" Shakespeare said.

"Remember the spaceship on Christmas, Martha?" he asked.  "This guy sort of looks like them.  The Sycorax."

"Sycorax," Shakespeare said, even as Martha started in surprise.  They had been there too?  "Nice word. I’ll have that off you as well."

"I should be on 10%," the Doctor commented, eyeing him.  "How’s your head?"

"Still aching," Shakespeare said.

"Here, try this," Rose said, taking the ruff from around the Doctor’s neck and putting it on Shakespeare.  "Neck brace.  Should help."

"Wear that for a few days till it’s better," the Doctor said, eyeing him critically.  "Although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone," the Doctor reported.  "I looked all over — every single copy of _Love’s Labor’s Won_ went up in the sky.”

"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare said with a sigh.

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

"Or he could, you know, _not_ bring about the end of the world again,” Rose muttered, and the Doctor nudged her with an elbow.

"Yeah, better not, Will," the Doctor said.  "There’s still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I’ve got new ideas," Shakespeare said.  "Perhaps it’s time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy — my precious Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha asked.

"That’s him," he said.

"Ham-NET?" she asked again.

"What’s wrong with that?" he asked, sounding slightly offended.

"Anyway," the Doctor said pointedly, holding up the crystal.  "Time we were off. I’ve got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity and I’ve gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space," Shakespeare said, and all three stared at him.

"You what?" the Doctor asked, stunned.

"You’re from another world like the Carrionites and Martha is from the future," he said.  "That much isn’t hard to work out.  Rose…seems a bit of both, however.  Something of Martha’s land, but a mark of you about her."

"That’s…incredible," the Doctor said with a smile.  "You are incredible."

"We’re alike in many ways, Doctor," he said, then leaned over and took Rose’s hand, planting a kiss on it.  "And it was an honor to work with your lovely…wife," he added, smiling when both the Doctor and Rose stiffened before turning to Martha again.  "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate—"

"Will! Will!" a voice interrupted just as Rose buried her face in the Doctor’s shoulder to hide her mad giggles.  "You’ll never believe it! She’s here! She’s turned up!"

Two actors hurried in to the theater, bouncing excitedly.

"We’re the talk of the town," the other actor said.  "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty!" the actor said.  "She’s here!"

There was a huge fanfare, followed by the entrance of the stately Queen Elizabeth the First.

"Queen Elizabeth the First!" the Doctor cried happily.

"Doctor!" the queen said furiously.

"What?" he said, his face falling as confusion took over.

"Together with your scandalous wife!" she said, her eyes moving over to Rose.

"Sorry?" Rose said, stunned, even as the Doctor looked down at her in surprise.

"My sworn enemies!" the queen exclaimed.

"What?" the Doctor said again.

"Off with their heads!"

"What?" the Doctor shouted, sounding indignant now.

"Yeah, I think this is where we run," Rose said, taking his hand and already moving away.  "C’mon, Martha!  Nice to meet you Will!"

"See you, Will!" Martha called over her shoulder as they scurried away.  "And thanks!"

"Stop that pernicious Doctor!" they heard the queen shout over Shakespeare’s laughter.

They tore through the streets, pushing through groups of people and around carts while soldiers chased behind them, ordering them to stop—as if that was actually going to happen.

"What have you two done to upset her?" Martha shouted as they reached the TARDIS, Rose unlocking it quickly with the key round her neck.

"No idea," Rose said.  "Haven’t met her yet.  Looks like fun though."

"That’s time travel for you," the Doctor said.  "Apparently, we have something to look forward to, Rose.  Oh!"

He pulled the door shut just as a soldier loosed an arrow, and dully heard it connect with a thwack.


	12. Hey Jealousy

“Just one trip,” the Doctor said as he steered the TARDIS into the Vortex and away from the Queen’s guards.  “’S’what I said. One trip, in the TARDIS, and then home. Although—I suppose we could—stretch the definition,” he said, glancing at Rose before looking at Martha.  “Try one trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?”

“No complaints from me,” Martha said.

“Doctor,” Rose said, and Martha immediately bristled.

“He offered,” she said hastily, eyeing Rose.

“Yeah, and that’s fine,” Rose said, taken aback.  “I was just gonna say, if you’re going to stay for another trip, you should really get some proper sleep before we go swanning off on another adventure.  The Doctor forgets sometimes, you see, that humans—at least full humans—need sleep every night, and by the looks of you, a couple nights on a 16th century inn didn’t cut it.”

“I’m fine,” Martha argued, even though her eyes burned and her head felt full of cotton.

“No…no, she’s right, Martha,” the Doctor said, looking at her carefully.  “You could use a rest.  C’mon, let’s find you a room, and we’ll take a trip when you get up.”

“So you’re not just gonna drop me home, then?” Martha asked, standing uncertainly.

“Nah,” he said.  “Told you, one forward, one back.  Couldn’t have done that one without you and your unparalleled knowledge of Harry Potter, after all.  C’mon. Rose, I’ll meet you in the media room.”

He sauntered off down the corridor, leaving Martha little choice but to follow.

“So what’d you think?” he asked after a moment.  “1599? Shakespeare?  Saving the world?”

“I think it’s brilliant,” she said honestly.  “Is it always like that?”

“Um…not always,” he said, tugging at his ear.  “We’ve actually managed quite a few completely disaster-free stops.  We do seem to find ourselves in the middle of some crisis or other with…some frequency, I suppose, but they’re not all to that scale.  Though…some are worse,” he added, a storm cloud passing over his face.

“Like Canary Wharf?” she asked quietly.

He looked down at her for a moment, and again she caught the glint in his eye that made him seem so much older than he looked—and then he swallowed and looked away, his face once again cheerful as he nodded to a door.

“Here we go,” he said, turning the handle and opening the door into what looked like a mid-rate hotel room.  “Bit plain…that’s weird.  But I suppose it’ll do.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she said, stepping closer and leaning against the door frame while she looked up at him.  “Thanks.”

He nodded, then looked down, apparently just noticing the lack of distance between them.  She rolled her eyes at his hasty step back.

“Right…so,” he said, clearing his throat.  “Get some sleep, then we’ll be off.”

“Yeah,” she said as he turned to go.  “No, listen, I’ve got to ask.  You and Rose.  You’re together.”

He looked back at her warily for a moment.  “Yes, Martha.”

“ _Why_?” she asked as the question burned through her brain.

“Does it matter?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“But…it just doesn’t make sense,” she burst out.  “She’s just some girl from the Estates.  I mean, alright, only mostly human, but what does that even mean?  I’ve seen the way you look at her, like she’s some sort…dunno, goddess or angel or something.  But she’s just a _girl_.  What makes her so special?”

“Hold on, let me make sure I’ve got this right,” he said slowly, frowning as he buried his hands in his pockets.  “You just saved the world by quoting _Harry Potter_ , and you’re honestly going to stand there and ask me about my relationship as if _that’s_ the biggest puzzle for you to solve?”

“Well, if you two would actually say anything _ever_ —“

“Stop,” he said, putting a hand out and cutting her off.  “Now, I’m going to assume that this conversation is due to utter exhaustion on your part, and pretend that it didn’t happen.  I will say that I’m sorry for any confusion that I caused you by inviting you along, but it was never more than a friendly gesture.  I certainly don’t need to explain myself to you, but know this: Rose Tyler is not and never has been ‘just’ _anything_ , and the things she’s done and been through would give you nightmares.  But even without that…Martha, don’t be that girl.  You’re better than that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked testily.

“You just saved the world,” he reminded her, rocking back on his heels as he leaned forward slightly to look in her face.  “You traveled in time, met Shakespeare, saw witches—well, sort of witches.  But you’re standing here focused on petty jealousy of someone you know nothing about.  Martha Jones, you could be so, so brilliant.  Why would you insist on being so small?”

He turned without an answer and strode back down the corridor, leaving Martha alone and stunned.  The things he’d said had managed to leave her even more confused.  It had crossed her mind that with the whole “mostly human” thing that maybe he was just with her because he felt obligated to her because of whatever happened to her, but that hadn’t sounded like someone who looked at Rose as an obligation.  She wandered into the room, collapsing on the bed as she went through the day again.  Yeah, they’d saved the world…and she had actually had an active part in it.  But before that, when the Doctor was still puzzling everything out…she remembered the way both he and Rose looked at each other while they were thinking…the way they picked up each other’s trains of thought…the way they seemed to instinctively know what the other was doing…

She fell asleep before she could come up with any real answers.

oOoOo

The Doctor walked slowly toward the media room, his mind wrapped up in the conversation he’d had with Martha.  He didn’t like the idea of anyone thinking Rose was less than the amazing, capable woman he knew her to be, especially not when they were forcing the idea because of spite and jealousy.  There was no other way that Martha could have thought of Rose as just “some girl”.  He shook his head.  He could only hope she’d be better after some sleep.  He’d meant what he said about her being brilliant.  There was a reason that they’d invited her along, after all.

The Doctor shucked his jacket and tie as he entered the room, popping the top two buttons of his shirt and rolling up his shirtsleeves.  It was mostly an unconscious gesture now—as soon as it was just him and Rose, the layers he kept between himself and the world fell away, both physically and metaphorically.  He crouched down by one of the media cases, scanning titles and trying to decide what to watch while they waited for the human to wake up.  He glanced up when Rose entered the room with a huge bowl of popcorn.

“What’re you in the mood for?” he asked.  “Think we’ve had enough horror…and I’m not really feeling musical right now.  Oh, unless it’s an old one, something with Fred Astaire—not Gene Kelley.  I know you love him, but Fred Astaire is still the king.  Oh, or comedy.  Haven’t watched Duck Soup in a while.  I do love the Marx Brothers—“ he stopped when he realized that Rose hadn’t said a word.  He twisted to see her sitting on the leather sofa, chewing on her nail with a thoughtful expression.  “What is it?” he asked softly.

“Nothing,” Rose said, looking up.  “Pick whatever.  Oh, but not Duck Soup.  We’ve seen that a million times, almost as many as the Muppet movie.”

“Rose,” he said quietly, rising to join her on the sofa.  He sat next to her, turning his body so he could face her, propping his arm up on the sofa back and resting his head on his fist.  “What is it?  You only do that…nail…bitey thing when something’s bothering you.  What’s wrong?  Is this about me offering Martha another trip?”

“No,” she assured him, but paused.  “Only…why did you?  I sort of thought you liked it being just the two of us.”

“I do,” he said.  “But it’s been just the two of us for a while now, since Mickey left—no, I’m not counting your mother getting stuck on board—so I just thought it might be nice to have someone else around for a little while.  You invited Donna, after all.”

“I suppose.  But…why her?” she asked, and it was so reminiscent of the _last_ time he’d offered a trip to another woman that he had to stop and study her carefully for a moment.

“Because she’s clever and…has potential,” he said slowly.  “You don’t like her?”

“It’s not…that,” she said hesitantly, then sighed.  She scrubbed her hands over her face then through her hair as she brought her knees up to her chest.  “I don’t think she thinks much of me…and thinks quite a lot of you…”

“What?” he asked, frowning.  “Did she say something?  What did she say?”

“Nothing like that,” Rose said, and he arched an eyebrow at her.  “Really.  But it’s not hard to figure out.  It’s just…you know, before I came back, you had this whole separate life without me.  And I can’t help wondering, while we’re meeting new people and having new adventures, what that was like.  What you did, who you were…close to…”

“…whether I still cared about you,” the Doctor added softly, “or whether I moved on to someone else?”  Rose looked up at him a little guiltily.  “Oh, Rose…you can’t do that to yourself.  That timeline is gone.  Just by being here, you’ve completely unraveled it.  You’ll drive yourself mad going through all the what ifs and might have beens.”

“I know,” she said hastily.  “It’s stupid, I know.”

“Hey, I never said it was stupid,” the Doctor assured her, resting his free hand on her knee.  “I know all about self-torture regarding the unknown.  I was speaking from experience.  I just don’t want to see you go through that if you don’t have to.  Again, that timeline is gone.  It doesn’t matter what happened in it.  But…if you’re really concerned…you remember how I told you that the TARDIS showed me some of that life?  It wasn’t pretty.  It was lonely, and filled with pain and desperation, devoid of the things I have now.  Even if I had met Martha—and really, the number of things that could have kept me from meeting her are astronomical—do you really think that it would have made a difference whether you were here or not?  You were still the one thing I wanted.  So much it apparently drove me insane enough for the TARDIS to pull you back from another universe, regardless of the consequences.  How many people do you really think she’d do that for?”

“Not many?” Rose hazarded in a small voice.

“Yeah, try none,” he corrected.  “Only you.  Rose Tyler…I waited over nine hundred years to find you.  Do you really think I’d just forget about that because a medical student got it in her head that she fancied me?”

“Suppose not,” she said thoughtfully.  Then a mischievous glint entered her eye.  “Only…what if she could make banana bread without burning it?”

“Oh…” The Doctor let out a breath, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.  “That…that might be tough.  Because really, what I’ve seen you do to banana bread is nothing short of blasphemous.”  Rose started giggling as he looked back down at her.  “Honestly, Rose, it’s against the laws of thermodynamics for it to be raw on the outside and burnt in the middle,” he continued mercilessly.  “Your inability in the kitchen actually breaks universal laws.  That’s…that’s almost something to be proud of.”

She was laughing now, and he grinned at her before bringing his hand up and brushing a lock of hair from her face.

“Better now?” he asked after a moment, and she gave a small nod.  “Martha, I can assure you—genetic transfer notwithstanding—is in no way a threat to you, nor could she be.  She’s going home after another trip anyway.  And no more worrying about a timeline that no one particularly liked and you personally sent into oblivion, alright?”

Rose sighed.  “Yeah, I’ll work on it.  I guess what we might have done doesn’t matter as much as what we’re doing.”

“Exactly,” he said.  “And what we’re doing…is watching a film, during which, the lights will be low and I may or may not attempt to snog you senseless and make us lose complete track of said film.  How’s that sound?”

“Dunno,” she said with a teasing grin.  “Sounds a bit domestic.”

“Well…in that case, we could always skip the film,” he offered, arching an eyebrow and pulling her closer as she giggled.


	13. Gridlock (part 1)

Martha woke up several hours later, disoriented for a moment until she remembered where she was.  The TARDIS, the Doctor’s time ship.  That’s right.  It was pitch black in the room she’d been given.  She stumbled over to the wall, cursing as she slammed into the bureau, and attempted to find a light switch.  When she failed to find one, she hit the wall in frustration.  She heard a low whine, and the lights came up a little, leaving the room in murky dimness, but at least she could see.  She made her way to the ensuite, splashing water on her face and touching up her makeup again before stepping out into the corridor.  She could swear she remembered where the console room was in relation to the room, but in only minutes she was well and truly lost.  She wandered for another several minutes before she ran straight into Rose around a blind corner.

"There you are!" Rose said.  "We were wondering what happened to you.  C’mon."

She made her way around a last corner, and there was the console room in all its glory.  She looked around it in confusion.

"Ah, Martha!" the Doctor said, looking up from the console.  "It’s about time.  Feeling better?  Bright eyed and bushy tailed?  Not that you have a tail, mind.  If you did, then you’d look like Gravorians, they’re an interesting lot.  Their tails are extremely tactile.  It’s actually illegal to touch a Gravorian’s tail without being married to one.  I expect it has to be that way, otherwise they’d never get anything done."  Rose laughed as Martha stared blankly at him.  "Um.  Are you ready for your trip?"

"Yeah, definitely," she said, walking over to sit in the jump seat.  "Gotta tell you, though, the electricity on your ship is barmy.  How do you even control the lights?"

"Oh…they sort of…control themselves," the Doctor said vaguely.  "Why, what happened?"

"It was pitch black in that room when I woke up," she said, showing off the bruise on her arm, and the Doctor frowned.  "Couldn’t see a thing.  Slammed into the bureau, and I couldn’t find any light switch.  Ended up having to bang on the wall to get any light at all, and even that was barely enough to see by."

"Strange," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic.  "Let me see your arm?"  He ran the sonic over her arm, and the soreness abated.  Martha looked down in amazement as the bruise vanished.  "The TARDIS has been known to play tricks, but nothing that would actually cause harm.  Not unless you really annoy her somehow, and that’s—“ He stopped, looking at her, and his eyes cut to Rose briefly, then up to the ceiling.  “Hmm.”

“What?” Rose asked, looking concerned.  “Is there something wrong with her?”

“Mmm…possibly not,” he said, looking back down at Martha.  “She just tends to get a bit…overprotective at times.”

"But it’s just a machine," Martha protested as his eyes bored into hers, making her feel decidedly uncomfortable about the conversation they’d had before she went to sleep regarding Rose.

“Bit more than that,” Rose said distractedly.  “But why would she be feeling protective at all?  What happened?”

"Misunderstanding," the Doctor said quickly, seeming intent to do as he said and pretend the conversation never happened.  His eyes returned to Martha’s arm, turning it this way and that to make sure the bruise was gone completely before dropping it and returning to the console, his mood once again chipper.  "Anyway, no harm done, well, none that couldn’t be fixed anyway.  So, trip forward.  Oh, how about a different planet?"

"Can we go to yours?" Martha asked excitedly.

"Ahh, there’s plenty of other places!" the Doctor said, turning away.

"Come on, though!" Martha said, hopping off the jump seat and following him around the console.  "I mean, Planet of the Time Lords, that’s got to be worth a look! What’s it like?"

"Well…it’s beautiful, yeah," the Doctor said slowly, still not looking up, but Martha didn’t notice.  She was too lost in imagining what the distant planet must look like.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" she asked.

"Suppose it is," the Doctor said.  Martha saw Rose move to his other side, looking up at him.  Martha got the idea Rose might not have seen it yet either, though why it would take him two years to go back was beyond her.

"Great big temples and cathedrals," she continued rapturously.

"Yeah," said the Doctor, his movements still.  Probably imagining it himself.   Hopefully, it would only take a bit more persuasion.

"Lots of planets in the sky?" she asked.

The Doctor was quiet, looking down at his hands.  She waited a beat for the manic energy to come back, for him to shoot them off across the universe to his own magical world.

"Leave it, Martha," Rose said quietly, looking over at her, her hand on the Doctor’s arm.

"What?" she asked, confused.  "Why?  It sounds glorious.  Can we go there?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose for a moment with a strange expression.  They shared a look, then the Doctor swallowed hard and took a deep breath before glancing at Martha.

"Nah," he said, reaching around Rose to flick another switch before dancing away around the console again.  "Where’s the fun for me? I don’t want to go home! Instead…" He tweaked seemingly random settings before the TARDIS lurched again, landing.  He quickly stepped away from the console and retrieved his coat and Rose’s jacket.  "This is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we’re slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it’s the fifteenth New York from the original, so it’s New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

"How long have you been waiting to say that again?" Rose asked as they stepped towards the door.

"Since the first time we were here," he said with a grin as he opened the door and stepped out, leading the two girls—into the pouring rain.

"Oh, that’s nice!" Martha said, scowling and zipping up her jacket hurriedly.  "Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone," the Doctor said distractedly as he pulled the arrow from the door, looking at it for a moment before tossing it aside.  "Come on, let’s get under cover!"

He grabbed Rose’s hand and took off down the street, Martha trailing behind.  They ran past dumpsters and piles of rubbish, underneath old laundry lines filled with forgotten garments.  The whole place seemed deserted.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha said disdainfully as they ducked under an awning.  "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Yeah, what happened to apple grass and flying cars and everything?" Rose asked, looking around.  "It was beautiful.  This is…a bit bleak."

"Hold on, hold on," he said, glancing around and spotting a screen on the wall.  "Let’s have a look."

He walked over to it, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and trying to coax it back to life.  It finally turned on, but revealed nothing but static.  The Doctor banged on it once, and the screen flickered, revealing the face of a woman.

"– and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway," the woman was saying, and the screen shifted to reveal another view of the city, with tall, elegant buildings built along the coast of a sparkling river, with cars zooming overhead.

"Oh, there it is," Rose said with a smile.  "It was just there," she said, pointing to a hill across the river from the city, "that we landed before, and we laid out in the apple grass and watched the cars go by while the new new Doctor lectured about the city."

"Mmm…that was an… exciting day," the Doctor said, his lips twitching.  "Especially the end," he added with a wink at Rose before he looked around again.  "This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You’ve brought me to the slums?" Martha asked.

"Much more interesting!" the Doctor cried happily.  "It’s all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"You’d enjoy anything," she replied with a smile.

"That’s me," he said with a grin, holding out a hand as the rain faded.  "Oh, the rain’s stopping! Better and better!"

"So why’re we coming back here?" Martha asked.

"Oh…we didn’t get much chance to explore last time," the Doctor said evasively.

"Bit of a problem with the hospital and a bitchy trampoline," Rose added darkly, and the Doctor smirked.

"You realize you two never actually make any sense, right?" Martha asked, staring at them.

"Not the first time I’ve heard that," the Doctor said with a tilt of his head.  "C’mon."

He took Rose’s hand and guided Martha out from under cover with a hand on her back. They’d only made it a couple of steps though, when the top of one of the large green boxes lining the street flipped up to reveal the inside of a vendor’s cart. 

"Oh! You should have said," the man in the cart said.  "How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers!" shouted another voice, and they spun to see another stall open.  "Customers! We’ve got customers!"

"We’re in business!" called a different voice as yet another stall opened for business.  "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

The three continued to shout their wares, as the three travellers grew more wary.

"No, thanks," the Doctor said, turning in a slow circle.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they’re selling moods," he said quietly, frowning.

"Same thing, isn’t it?" she asked.

The vendors started crying out again as a pale young woman dressed in dark clothes entered the alley.  She made her way purposefully to one of the stalls as they watched.

"And what can I get you, my love?" the vendor asked.

"I want to buy Forget," the young woman said in a hollow voice.

"I’ve got Forget, my darling," the vendor assured her.  "What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It’s my mother and father," the woman said.  "They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that’s a swain," the vendor said, reaching behind her into the stall to pull out a small circular patch.  "Try this. Forget Forty-three. That’s twopence."

The young woman paid the vendor and turned away with the patch in hand, but Rose stepped up quickly before she could do anything with it.

"Hold on," she said softly.  "What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off," the woman said.

"Alright," Rose said.  "But…they might drive back, yeah?"

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end," the woman said, a haunted look in her eyes.  "I’ve lost them."

"But they can’t have gone far," Rose said, trying to reason with her.  "You could find them.  My friends and I, we could help you."

The young woman looked at her for a moment, her face hopeless.  Then she looked down with a sigh and pressed the patch to her neck.

"No, no!" the Doctor said, stepping forward.  "Don’t—“

The woman looked up again with a serene, if slightly hazy expression on her face.

"I’m sorry, what were you saying?" she asked.

"Your parents," the Doctor said.  "Your mother and father. They’re on the motorway."

"Are they?" she asked.  "That’s nice."

Martha gaped at her, then looked at the Doctor.  He looked upset, but not at all surprised.  Rose simply looked sad.

"I’m sorry," the woman said.  "I won’t keep you."

She staggered off down the alley, and the Doctor followed for a few steps, then simply watched with a frown.

"So that’s the human race five billion years in the future," Martha said.  "Off their heads on chemicals."

They spun around when the heard Rose scream behind them.  A man had one arm thrown around her neck and another around her waist and arms as he carried her off with some difficulty while she fought and kicked.  A woman was standing in front of them pointing a gun in the direction of the Doctor and Martha.

They shouted apologies and explanations, but were drowned out by the screams of the furious Doctor.

"No, let her go!" he shouted as he advanced on them.  "I’m warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help, but you have to _let her go_!”

They managed to drag Rose away behind a heavy green door, slamming it behind them.  The Doctor ran up to it, Martha close behind as he wrestled with it, growling in frustration.  He pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the door, succeeding in unlocking it, and they tore down a disused corridor.  They made it to a fire escape just as a flying car, presumably with Rose inside, took off from another alley.

"ROSE!" the Doctor screamed.  He cursed and spun around, running back down the corridor, barely noticing Martha at all.  He pulled out his phone and punched a few keys before putting it up to his ear.  Another few seconds and he was snapping it closed again with another curse.

"No answer," he muttered.  "Can’t or won’t."

"Who were they?" Martha asked.  "Where were they going?"

"Let’s find out," the Doctor said, banging on one of the stall doors as they made it back to the alley.

"Thought you’d come back!" the vendor said as she opened the stall again.  "Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people," the Doctor said, ignoring her sales pitch.  "Who were they? Where did they take her?"

"They’ve taken her to the motorway," said another vendor.

"Looked like carjackers to me," said the vendor in front of them.

"I’d give up now, darling," the third vendor advised.  "You won’t see her again."

"Used to be thriving in this place," the second vendor said.  "You couldn’t move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

The Doctor had spun around as each of them spoke, and now stood between them, his gaze flitting to each in turn.

"He kept on saying three," he said.  "We need three. What did he mean, three?"

"It’s the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," said the first vendor.  "You get special access if you’re carrying three adults."

"This motorway – how do I get there?" he asked.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end," she replied.  "You cannae miss it."

He spun and strode off, slowing marginally and taking Martha’s hand as an afterthought to pull her with him.

"Tell you what," the vendor called after them.  "How ‘bout some happy Happy? Then you’ll be smiling, my love!"

The Doctor dropped Martha’s hand and turned back, and Martha backed away slightly.  The fury that emanated from him was shocking and disorienting, being so used to the brilliant and slightly manic Doctor.

"Word of advice, all of you," he said darkly.  "Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags."

"Why’s that, then?" the vendor asked.

"Because as soon as I’ve found her, alive and well," he said, "and I _will_ find her, alive and well – then I’m coming back. And this street is closing. Tonight!”

oOoOo

"Yeah," a voice said, floating back to Rose as she slowly fought her way back to consciousness. "The view from the windows. You can see all the way out to the flatlands."

She looked up blearily, disoriented.  What happened?  She was in an alley with Martha and the Doctor…talking to a girl…then…oh.  Then she got kidnapped.  Again.  And then they’d knocked her out with…something.  She reached up and pulled the patch off her neck and looked at it for a moment before throwing it away.

"The sky," the voice continued dreamily as she looked around.  "They say the air smells like apple grass. Can you imagine?"

"The houses are made of wood," said the man.  "There are jobs going in the foundries. Everyone says so!"

Rose spotted the gun and grabbed it, then frowned at it.

"This isn’t even a real gun, is it?" she asked suddenly as she sat up, and the other two whirled around to look at her.  "You kidnapped me with a _fake gun_.”

"I’m sorry," the woman said.  "It was our only choice.  I wouldn’t even know how to fire a real gun."

"I would," Rose said with a snort, tossing it aside.  "Fat lot of good that does me now, though.  What’s going on?  Why’d you take me like that?  Who are you?"

"Um…well, I’m Cheen, and this is Milo," the woman said.  "What’s your name?"

"Rose," she said.  "The other two questions now."

"Oh, um, right," Cheen stammered.  "I swear we’re sorry. We’re really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast lane, but I promise, as soon as we arrive, we’ll drop you off and you can go back and find your friends."

"No," Rose said slowly.  "If it was as simple as that you, you would have just asked."

"I swear! Look –" Cheen said, pulling back her hair to reveal the patch on her neck.  Rose stepped forward gingerly to look at it.  It said "Honesty-36".  "Honesty patch."

"You need a patch for that?" Rose said with a snort.  "Can’t be working too well if you’re still resorting to kidnapping.  Where are we?"

"We’re on the motorway," Cheen said.

Rose stooped and looked out the window.  The whole view was obscured by a dense, white fog.

"What’s that?" she asked.  "That’s not just fog."

"That’s the exhaust fumes," Cheen said.

"We’re going out to Brooklyn," Milo said.  "Everyone says the air’s so much cleaner, and we couldn’t stay in Pharmacy Town, ‘cause…" He trailed off and looked at Cheen, reaching over to rub her knee.

"Well, ‘cause of me," Cheen said, smiling up at her.  "I’m pregnant. We only discovered it last week. Scan says it’s going to be a boy."

Milo gave a sort of victory fist pump.

Rose stared at them, slackjawed.  “Yeah, that’s great, wonderful, _molto bene_ ,” she said after a moment.  “I’m sure that one day you’ll have your own happy little gang of human traffickers, family business, couldn’t be more thrilled for you.  But right now, you have to take me back.”

"We can’t," Milo said.  "We’re already passed the entrance to Pharmacy town, and half way to the fast lane.  But listen, this’ll be as fast as we can. We’ll take the motorway to the Brooklyn flyover, and then after that it’s gonna take a while, ‘cause then there’s no fast lane, just ordinary roads, but at least it’s direct."

"It’s only ten miles," Cheen said reassuringly.

Rose heaved a sigh, looking out the window again.  “How long is it gonna take?”

"About six years," Cheen said.

Rose stared at her.  “…you’re joking.”

"Be just in time for him to start school," she said happily with an adoring look at Milo.

"No, no…now…wait," Rose said, putting a hand over her eyes.  "Ten miles…in six years?  Why?  Why’s it take so long?”

oOoOo

The Doctor and Martha made their way through the alley until they got to a door marked “Motorway Access.”  He pulled out his sonic screwdriver again and pointed it at the door.

"Don’t worry, Doctor," Martha tried to say soothingly.  "We’ll find her."

"Oh, I know I will," he said, his voice still darkly determined as the door unlocked and he pushed it open.  They stepped out on a platform and were immediately overwhelmed by the fumes that pressed against them from all sides.  Layers upon layers of flying cars hovered in front of them.  It was less than a minute before they were both coughing furiously.

Suddenly, a side door on the vehicle in front of them opened to reveal a large figure covered in protective gear.

"Hey! You daft little street struts!" the figure shouted.  "What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!"

The Doctor touched Martha’s back, pushing her gently across the platform to jump before him, then he followed quickly.

"Did you ever see the like?" the figure asked the dark haired woman in the car as he slammed the door closed again.

"Here you go," the woman said, handing over an oxygen mask.  The Doctor, still coughing, gestured to Martha.  "Oh, hush, I’ve got another," she chided, but did as he directed, Martha taking it gratefully, before handing him the second one.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" the figure said as he pulled off his goggles, cap, and scarf, revealing the face of a cat.  Martha gaped at him from behind her mask, and felt the Doctor nudge her.  She looked up at him, and he gave her a warning look and a head shake.

"There’s this story says back in the old days," the cat man said.  "On Junction Forty-Seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you’re making it up," the woman said with a laugh.

"A fifty-foot head!" he crowed, heading to the front of the vehicle and dropping back down in the driver’s seat.  "Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Stop it," the woman said.  "That’s disgusting."

"What?" he asked, amused.  "Did you never pick your nose?"

The woman smiled, but then suddenly sat up straight, tapping the driver on the arm.

"Bran, we’re moving," she said quickly.

"Right," he said.  "I’m there. I’m on it."

He pulled a lever on the console, and moved forward slowly with horns blaring from every side.  The momentum only lasted a few seconds though, before he was pushing the brake back into position.

"Twenty yards!" he said, marveling.  "We’re having a good day."

They turned again to face them just as the Doctor pulled off his oxygen mask, pulling out his phone again to try Rose.

"And who might you be?" the man asked as the Doctor put the phone to his ear.  "Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

"Thanks," Martha said, pulling off her own mask.  "Um, I’m Martha, Martha Jones, and this is—“ She stopped and stared at him as he growled and snapped the phone shut again angrily.

"What’s the point in having one if you won’t answer?" he muttered.  Then he looked up and pasted on a grin, holding out his hand.  "Hello, yes, sorry, I’m the Doctor."

"Medical man!" the cat man said happily, shaking his hand.  "My name’s Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said.

"And that’s the rest of the family behind you," Brannigan said, gesturing to the back of the vehicle.

The Doctor turned and pulled a curtain behind them, revealing a basket of kittens.

"Aww, that’s nice," he said with a smile.  "Hello."

"They’re cats," Martha whispered.

"Yes, they are," the Doctor said quietly, still smiling as he reached out for the kittens.  "They also may have just saved our lives.  Perspective, Martha.  How old are they?" he asked in a louder voice, holding a tiny black kitten in his hands as he turned back to its parents.

"Just two months," Valerie said with a smile.

"Poor little souls," Brannigan said.  "They’ve never known the ground beneath their paws.  Children of the motorway."

"What, they were born in here?" the Doctor asked, puzzled.

"We couldn’t stop," Valerie said.  "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we’d take a chance."

"You’ve been driving for two months?" Martha asked.

"Do I look like a teenager?" Brannigan asked with a chuckle.  "We’ve been driving for twelve years now."

"I’m sorry?" the Doctor asked, completely stunned.

"Yeah," Brannigan said.  "Started out as newlyweds! Feels like yesterday."

"Feels like twelve years to me," Valerie said.

"Ahh, sweetheart, but you’re still lovely," Brannigan said, reaching over to tickle her, making her giggle.

"Hold on, though," Martha said.  "Twelve years? How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park," Brannigan said.  "It’s five miles back."

"You travelled five miles in twelve years?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

"I think he’s a bit slow," Brannigan said.

"Where are you from?" Valerie asked as the Doctor handed the kitten off to Martha, who stroked it for a moment before putting it back in its basket.

"Never mind that," the Doctor said.  "I’ve got to get out. My…friend’s in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. I should get back to the TARDIS."

He pulled open the door, but there was nothing but a cloud of smoke.  The platform was gone.

"You’re too late for that," Brannigan said as the Doctor coughed and closed the door again. "We’ve passed the lay-by.  You’re passengers now, Sonny Jim!"

"When’s the next lay-by?" he asked urgently.

"Oh…six months?" Brannigan hazarded.

oOoOo

Rose patted her pockets with increasing desperation.  She had to get ahold of the Doctor…he didn’t do well when she was taken, he had to be furious.  If she didn’t call him soon, he might rip the whole place apart, car by car, just to find her.

"What’re you doing?" Cheen asked.

"Looking for my…communicator…thingy," she said, looking around to see if it had fallen.  "I need to call my friends."

"You mean this thing?" Cheen asked, holding it out…well, most of it.  The phone was clearly unusable.  Rose groaned as she took it.  "Sorry, it fell out of your pocket when we were hoisting you into the car."

"Showing once again what a brilliant move that was," Rose said scathingly, then sighed.  He’d find her.  He always did.  As angry as she was at the situation, it wouldn’t help to be a complete bitch either.  She moved to the front again and looked out the window.  "How many cars are out there?"

"I don’t think anyone knows," Cheen said.  She reached behind her for something, and held it out to Rose.  "Here you go. Hungry?"

Rose eyed the package of wafer distrustfully.  She’d been travelling for too long to take anything at face value.  “What is it?”

"Um…recycled waste," Cheen said.

"I think I’m good, yeah," Rose said.  "But I don’t understand, why’re you all stuck in here?  Last time I was here, cars were flying up in the air, all over the place.”

They both gave her a strange look.

“Don’t be daft,” Cheen said with a worried smile.  “No one’s been able to go anywhere without the motorway in decades.  How long ago were you here?”

“Um…not completely sure,” Rose said slowly.  “It’s…complicated.  Alright, so where’s this fast lane, then?”

"Oh, it’s right at the bottom," Milo said.  "Underneath the traffic jam. But not many people can afford three passengers, so it’s empty down there. Rumor has it you can reach up to thirty miles per hour."

"That fast, eh?" Rose asked, her eyebrows raised, and they smiled.  She ran a hand through her hair and looked around the capsule again.  "But how’re you supposed to live in this thing for the next six years?  It’s tiny.  Add in a baby…"

"Oh, we stocked up," Cheen said.  "Got self-replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise, and there’s a chemical toilet at the back for recycling, like I said."

"Oh, another gap," Milo said happily.  "This is brilliant!"

"Car sign in," and electronic voice said.

Milo picked up a transmitter and held it to his mouth.  “Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent to fast lane, thank you very much.”

"Please drive safely," the electronic voice replied.

_C’mon, Doctor_ , Rose thought.


	14. Gridlock (part 2)

"I need to talk to the police," the Doctor said into the transmitter in Brannigan’s vehicle.

"Thank you for your call," an electronic voice said.  "You have been placed on hold."

"But you’re the police!" he said, incredulously.

"Thank you for your call," the voice repeated.  "You have been placed on hold."

He made another growl and scrambled back towards Brannigan and Valerie.  “Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan; is there any way of getting through to him?”

"Oh, now, ain’t you lordly?" Brannigan asked.

"I’ve _got_ to find my friend,” he said.

"You can’t make outside calls," Valerie said.  "The motorway’s completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" Martha asked as the Doctor growled again, trying to pace in the small space and running a hand through his hair.  "Can you call them?

"Oh, we’ve got contact with them, yeah," Brannigan said.  "Well, some of them, anyway. They’ve got to be on your friends list. Now, let’s see – who’s nearby? Ahh! The Cassini sisters!"  He picked up the transmitter.  "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It’s Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan," came an elderly voice.  "You’re a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come on, now, sisters," he said.  "Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we’re not sisters," the voice said.  "We’re married."

"Oooh, stop that modern talk," Brannigan said with a chuckle.  "I’m an old-fashioned cat. Now, I’ve got a hitchhiker here, calls himself the Doctor."

He handed the transmitter off to the Doctor, who grabbed it and brought it to his mouth hurriedly.  “Hello. Sorry. I’m looking for someone called Rose Tyler. She’s been carjacked. She’s inside one of these vehicles, but I don’t know which one.”

"Wait a minute," said another voice.  "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where were we?" the Doctor asked.

"Pharmacy Town," Brannigan supplied.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor reported.

"Let’s have a look," the voice said.

"Just my luck to marry a car spotter," the first voice said.

"In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction," said the second.

"Anything more specific?" he asked impatiently.

"All in good time," the voice said.  "Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah," he said, perking up slightly.

"There we are," the voice said.  "Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That’s it!" he said, hope rising in him.

"So how do we find them?" Martha asked.

"Ah," the second voice said.  "Now, there I’m afraid I can’t help."

"Can we call them on that thing?" Martha asked, nodding to the transmitter.  "We’ve got their number now."

"Not if they’re designated fast lane," Brannigan said.  "It’s a different class."

"You could try the police," said one of the Cassinis.

"They put me on hold," the Doctor said.

"You’ll have to keep trying," the woman said.  "There’s no one else."

"Thank you," the Doctor said wearily as he handed back the transmitter.  Martha touched his arm comfortingly, but he barely glanced at her before staring out the window again, a hard expression on his face.

oOoOo

"See? Another ten layers to go," Milo said, pointing to the diagram displaying the layers of traffic and their car in it.  "We’re scorching."

Rose nodded, then froze when she heard an odd sound, something like a groan or a growl.

"What’s that?" she asked.  It came again.  "It’s coming from down there, down in the fast lane.  What is it?"

"It’s that noise isn’t it?" Cheen said.  "It’s like Kate said. The stories are true."

"What stories?" Rose asked, looking between them.

"It’s the sound of the air vents," Milo said patiently.  "That’s all. The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel they’ve got air vents."

"No, but the stories are much better," Cheen said, and Milo chuckled fondly.  "They say people go missing on the motorway. Some cars just vanish, never to be seen again. ‘Cause there’s something living down there, in the smoke. Something huge. And hungry. And if you get lost on the road…it’s waiting for you."

The noise got louder, and they stared at each other.

"But like I said. Air vents," Milo said.  "Going down to the next layer."

"Right," Rose said with a shrug.  "Air vents.  Only, small thing, if the air vents were working, do you think it would look like that out there?" she asked, nodding out the window and staring at them.  The rumbling noise picked up again.  "No…that’s something else."

"Nah," Milo said derisively after a moment.  "Kid stuff."

oOoOo

"We’ve got to go to the fast lane," the Doctor told Brannigan.  "Take me down."

"Not in a million years," Brannigan said with a shake of his head.

"You’ve got enough passengers," the Doctor said.  "You only need three, you’ve got four here, not even counting the rest of the family."

"I’m still not going," Brannigan said.

"Please, Brannigan," the Doctor said, feeling desperate.  "She’s alone down there, I’m all she’s got left.  I’m asking you, _begging_ you, Brannigan—take me down.”

"That’s a no," Valerie said.  "And that’s final. I’m not risking the children down there."

"What’s down there?" Martha asked.  "Why’re you so afraid of it?"

"We’re not discussing it!" Valerie snapped.  "The conversation is closed!"

"So we keep on driving," the Doctor said.

"Yes, we do," Brannigan said, staring straight ahead.

“ _For how long_?” he asked.

“‘Till the journey’s end,” the cat replied.

The Doctor reached around him and snatched the transmitter.  “Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?”

"Oh, we were amongst the first," the woman replied.  "It’s been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?" he asked, eyeing the couple in the car as he spoke.  They looked at him, shifting uncomfortably.

"I’m not sure," said the car spotter.

"Look at your notes," he suggested.  "Any police?"

"Not as such," she replied slowly after a small pause.

"Or an ambulance?" he asked.  "Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

"I can’t keep a note of everything," she said, clearly upset.

"What if there’s no one out there?" he asked.

Brannigan reached up and snatched the transmitter from the Doctor angrily.

"Stop it," he said.  "The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

"Well someone’s got to ask," Martha said, stepping closer.  “‘Cause you don’t talk about it, but you know he’s right.  You’re afraid of something.”

“You’re afraid that this is it,” the Doctor said.  “That you’re all alone.”

"There’s a whole city above us," Brannigan said.  "The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn’t just leave us."

"In that case, where are they?" the Doctor pressed, even while a part of him knew it was unfair.  It wasn’t their fault, and it wasn’t their responsibility…but he was so far beyond frustrated and angry that he didn’t care.  "Hmm? What if there’s no help coming, not ever? What if there’s nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping? _Forever_?”

"Shut up!" Valerie shouted suddenly.  "Just shut up!"

The screen suddenly crackled to life, showing the woman they’d seen earlier in the alley.

"This is Sally Calypso," she said, "and it’s that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well," Brannigan said, looking between them.  "But we’re not abandoned. Not while we have each other."

"This is for all of you out there on the roads," Sally Calypso said.  "We’re so sorry. Drive safe."

The Doctor stepped back, watching them as they started to sing.  He glanced down to see Martha take up the song as well.  He wondered if Rose was down there, somewhere, singing along.  His hearts constricted painfully as he pulled out his phone, yet again, hitting redial as the song continued, but to no avail.  They hadn’t even set up voicemail properly…who else would call them?  Now he sincerely wished he could at least hear her voice, to give him some added hope that she was alright, wherever she was.

oOoOo

Rose watched as the other two sang their hymn.  It was one she remembered vaguely from childhood, back when Nana Prentice used to drag her to church.  It was one of hope and glory…she sighed, toying with her broken phone.  What was the Doctor doing right now?  She could picture him pacing somewhere, running his hands through his hair, shouting at…someone.  Anyone.  Because he was frustrated and yelling helped.  She could imagine Martha watching him with wide eyes, shocked at the way the tension came off him in waves when he was angry.  Would he find a way to get to her?  Better yet…she had dark suspicions about this whole situation.  Everything about this was wrong.  People might not say it, but it was.  If people were desperate enough to kidnap others off the street to cut a ten mile journey down to _six years_ , in a place with mystery sounds that may or may not cause cars to disappear, something was definitely wrong.  But this was the Doctor.  He always saved her, her and everyone else, even if they didn’t know they needed it.

"Fast lane access," an electronic voice said as the hymn faded, pulling Rose from her thoughts.  "Please drive safely."

"We made it," Milo said, with pleasant surprise.  "The fast lane."

oOoOo

The Doctor stayed quiet for a moment after the hymn ended.  Valerie and Martha both had tears in their eyes.  Martha had something in common with these people after all, some shared faith; faith in each other, in some great cosmic design.  That was what kept them sane, if not reasonable, after years on a motorway that was clearly going to nowhere.  Well, he had faith in two things.  Just two.  Rose…and his ability to find her, always.

“Maybe if we try the police again—“ Martha started.

“What for?” he asked, looking down at her.  “They’re not there.  There’s no one there.”

“Well…but what else can you do?” Martha asked.

“Oh, Martha Jones,” he said, shaking his head and smiling in a slightly predatory way that was completely unnerving for the medical student.  “When it comes to getting back to Rose, I think you’ll find that there’s very little I can’t do.”

He glanced around the capsule for a moment, then crouched in the middle of the floor, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and inspecting the emergency hatch.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Brannigan asked as he and Valerie turned around, shocked.

"Finding my own way," the Doctor said as he opened the hatch.  "I usually do."

"No, but you can’t just leave me," Martha said.

He hesitated, looking at her.  It was just supposed to be one more trip.

"Martha, I’ll come back for you," he said, standing and putting his hands on her upper arms as he looked down into her face.  "I promise you.  But I have to find her.  Brannigan, look after this one for me for a bit would you?  Oh, and this," he added, taking off his coat and handing it to Martha.  "Trust me, best insurance you could have.  I love that coat.  Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

He crouched down by the hatch again, watching for a car and steeling himself for the jump.

"But you can’t jump!" Valerie cried.

"If it’s any consolation, Valerie," he said, looking up at her.  "Right now, I’m having kittens."

"This Rose," Brannigan said.  "She must mean an awful lot to you."

"Everything," the Doctor said without hesitation.  "She’s just…everything.  Only family I’ve got."  He took a deep breath.  "Bye then!" he called, and jumped down to the next car.  He ran the sonic screwdriver over the roof hatch as the fumes rose up around him, making him cough and wheeze.  He hopped down into the capsule as the hatch swung open.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the _extremely_ pale man in the driver’s seat.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," he said as he crouched on the floor near the hatch.  "I’m doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?"

"Well, not very much," he said.  "Junction Five’s been closed for three years!"

"Thank you," he said.  "Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

He continued on, snagging a handkerchief from the next car to help with the fumes, averting his eyes from the nudists in the next one, saluting the next driver…on and on, through the layers of traffic, every one bringing him closer to Rose.

oOoOo

Rose chewed a nail and stared at the screen with the two occupants.  Milo had already tried twice to find an open exit to the Brooklyn flyover, but to no avail.

"What do we do?" Cheen asked desperately.

"We’ll keep going round," Milo said.  "We’ll do the whole loop. By the time we come back round, they’ll be open."

The rumbling sound came again, and Rose looked around, tense.

"Those aren’t air vents," she said.

"What else could it be?" Milo asked.

"I dunno," Rose said, looking around.  Seriously, she was going to have to get a sonic _something_ of her own.  She really hated being helpless.  “But I’ll tell you what, it’s not machinery.  Something’s alive out there.”

"It’s all exhaust fumes out there," Milo pointed out.  "Nothing could breathe in that."

"Unless it’s meant to," Rose muttered.  "Cause there’s a lot of things out there that eat and breathe and communicate in a million different ways.  There’s a species out there, yeah?  They literally _devour_ books to gain knowledge.  Smart system,” she added with a grin.

"What are you talking about?" Milo asked, his face blank.

"I’m saying that there could be something out there that thrives in exactly the type of environment this traffic jam created," Rose said.  "Which means…we could be in very big trouble, very soon."

"Calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six," came a voice over the transmitter.  "Repeat, calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six."

"This is Car Four Six Five Diamond Six," said Milo after snatching it up.  "Who’s that? Where are you?"

"I’m in the fast lane, about fifty yards behind," the voice said.  "Can you get back up? Can you get off the fast lane?"

"We only have permission to go down," he said.  "We—we need the Brooklyn Flyover."

"It’s closed. Go back up," the voice ordered.

"We can’t," Milo insisted.  "We’ll just go round."

"Don’t you understand?" the voice said.  "They’re closed. They’re always closed."

 Cheen put her hands to her mouth as she let out a sort of gasping moan.  Rose put a hand on her shoulder, and Cheen grasped it with one of hers.

"We’re stuck down here," the voice continued.  "And there’s something else. Out there, in the fog. Can’t you hear it?"

Rose snatched the transmitter from Milo.  “Any idea what it is?  How to avoid it?”

"I don’t know," the voice said.  "It’s big.  Only way to avoid it is by getting the hell out of the fast lane.  Move!"

They heard a crash and a metallic crunch and screaming from the other car.

"What was that?" Milo asked.

"I can’t move!" the voice cried.  "They’ve got us!"

"But what’s happening?" Milo asked.

Rose shook her head.  “There’s nothing we can do.  Just drive.  Go!”

"Where?" Milo asked.

"Blimey, just go straight!" she hollered, losing patience.  "Just bleeding move, fast!"

Milo pressed a few buttons, and the vehicle shot forward.  Rose was more sure than ever that it wasn’t just her that needed the Doctor now…it was everyone.

oOoOo

The Doctor jumped down into another vehicle, wheezing.  A man in a bowler hat turned in surprise as he landed.

“‘Scuse me, is that legal?” the man asked.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor choked out, coughing, then gave up.  "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly," the man said, reaching over to a water cooler to fill a conical cup for him.  "Never let it be said I’ve lost my manners."

He handed the cup to the Doctor, and he drained it immediately.  Having respiratory bypass and a body that could remove toxins at a ridiculous pace did not mean that jumping through several layers of cars in smog so thick he could practically eat it was comfortable.  He took a few deep breaths.

"Is this the last layer?" he asked finally.

"We’re right at the bottom," Bowler said.  "Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?" he asked.

"There’s only two of us," Bowler said.  "You need three to go down."

"Couldn’t we just cheat?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I’d love to," Bowler replied.  "But it’s an automated system. The wheel would lock."

"If you’ll excuse me," he said, running over to the emergency hatch in the floor and using the sonic screwdriver to flip it open.

"You can’t jump," Bowler said.  "It’s a thousand feet down!"

"No, I just want to look," he said, peering through the fog.  Tiny lights dotted the fog in the distance, and he heard a sort of screeching growl down in the depths of the motorway.  "What’s that noise?"

"I try not to think about it," Bowler said.

"What are those lights?" he asked.  "What’s down there?"  He coughed again, waving his hand in front of his face at the smoke.  "I just need to see."

He jumped up and ran for the screen at the front of the car, tapping at it with the sonic screwdriver.

"There must be some sort of ventilation," he said.  "If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

He leaned down underneath the display, using the sonic screwdriver to pry open the console, exposing the wires.  He examined several of them, splicing them together in different ways with the help of the sonic screwdriver.  Suddenly, air vents outside wheezed to life.

"That’s it!" he cried.  "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

He jumped back over to the hatch, staring down into the depths with the driver of the vehicle.

"What are those shapes?" Bowler asked as they became clearer.

"They’re alive," the Doctor said as huge, snapping claws rose toward them from below.

"What the hell are they?" Bowler asked.

"Macra," the Doctor said darkly, looking at the giant, crablike creatures.

oOoOo

"Go faster!" Cheen yelled as the whole car shook and lurched from side to side.

"I’m at top speed!" Milo yelled back.

"No access above," an electronic voice intoned.

"But this is an emergency!" Milo yelled.

"Thank you for your call," the voice said.  "You have been placed on hold."

"Turn everything off," Rose said suddenly, chewing on her nail.

"You’ve got to be joking," Milo said.

"Does it look like I’m joking?" she snapped back.  "’Cause think about it, that fog’s too thick to see through.  So it’s gotta be something else.  The engines, the sound, the heat, the light, whatever.  Just turn everything off."

"What if you’re wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I’m not," she said with more confidence than she felt.  "But even if I was, what other choice do you have?"

He looked at her for a moment, then turned and started flicking switches along the top of the car and the console.  The effect was immediate.  The car suddenly stopped jolting, and they were quiet as they listened to the screeching outside fade.

"They’ve stopped," Cheen said softly.

"Yeah, but they’re still out there," Milo pointed out.

"That’s helpful, cheers," Rose muttered.  The Doctor really was rubbing off on her in the worst ways.

"How did you think of that?" Cheen asked.

Rose shrugged.  “No other options.  Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now.”

"Well, you better think of something else quick," Milo said.  "Because we’ve lost the aircon. If we don’t switch the engines back on, we won’t be able to breathe."

"How long have we got?" she asked.

"Eight minutes, maximum," he told her.

She stared ahead, chewing on her nail as Cheen started crying softly.

oOoOo

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor explained quietly to Bowler.  "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don’t exactly look like empire-builders to me," Bowler said.

"Well, that was billions of years ago," he said.  "Billions. They must’ve devolved down the years and now they’re just beasts. But they’re still hungry…and Rose is down there."

A resounding thud on the roof of the car made them both look up quickly.

"Oh, it’s like New Times Square in here, for goodness’s sake!" cried Bowler as the hatch opened and a pair of feet dangled down before someone dropped into the car.

"I’ve invented a sport!" the Doctor said, coming forward.

"Doctor, you’re a hard man to find," the newcomer said, pulling off her own face covering to reveal cat features.

"No guns!" Bowler ordered, pointing to the weapon in her hands.  "I’m not having guns!"

"I only brought this in case of pirates," she said tersely.  "Doctor, you’ve got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"You haven’t aged at all," she said.  "Time has been less kind to me."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before recognition dawned.  “Novice Hame!” he said, throwing his arms around her with a grin, then: “No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation.”

"I’ve sought forgiveness, Doctor," she said.  "For so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"I’m not going anywhere," he said.  "You’ve got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if Rose is still alive, she’s stuck down there!"

"You’ve got to come with me right now!" she cried.

"No, no, no, you’re coming with me," he said. "We’ve got three passengers now."

"I’m sorry, Doctor," she said.  "But the situation is even worse than you can imagine."  She grabbed his wrist and pressed a buton on the wristband she was wearing.  "Transport."

"Don’t you dare!" he cried.  "Don’t you dare!"

But it was too late.  A bright white light, and then he was dumped on the floor of another room.  He groaned, picking himself up gingerly.

"Rough teleport…ow…" he said as he got to his feet, then rounded on Hame.  "But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Rose."

"I only had the power for one trip," she protested.

"Then get some more!" he shouted.  "Where are we?"

"High above," she said.  "In the over-city."

"Good!" he said.  “‘Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I’d like a word. They’ve got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! Millions!"

"But you’re inside the Senate, right now," she said.  "May the goddess Santori bless them."

He looked around, stunned, taking in the grim scene of skeletons draped around the once grand chamber.  Hame explained about Bliss, about the virus that mutated in it.  About how the whole city died in minutes.  About how the last thing they were able to do was close the motorway, shutting the people away for their own safety for nearly two and a half decades.

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" he asked softly.

"There’s not enough power to get them out," Novice Hame said.  "We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who’s ‘we’?" he asked.  "How did you survive?"

"He protected me," she said with a smile.  "And he has waited for you, these long years."

"Doctor," said a low, grumbling voice.  The Doctor looked up and darted around a corner to see the Face of Boe in his glass case and smoke.  He dashed over and knelt in front of him, just as he had the last time they met.

"The Face of Boe!" he said happily.

"I knew you would come," Boe said.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse," Hame said.  "As penance for my sins."

"Old friend, what happened to you?" he asked.

"Failing," Boe said.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame said.  "But with no one to maintain it, the City’s power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," the Doctor said in realization.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," she replied.  "He’s giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there," the Doctor said, confused.  "You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe," Hame said.  "The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

He looked back at the Face of Boe, then stood up to stand near Novice Hame, studying her.

"So the two of you stayed here," he said.  "On your own, for all these years."

"We had no choice," she said.

He reached out, touching her shoulder gently.  “Yes, you did.”

"Save them, Doctor," Boe urged.  "Save them."


	15. Gridlock (part 3)

Rose sat in the silent car, staring despondently out the window at the thick fog.

"How much air’s left?" Cheen asked.

"Two minutes," Milo reported hopelessly.

"The Doctor’s out there," Rose said.  "This…friend of mine.  He’ll think of something."

"Rose, no one’s coming," Milo said.

"Yes, he will," Rose said confidently.  "Long as he’s still breathing, he’ll come."

"He looked kind of nice," Cheen offered.

"You don’t know the half of it," Rose said with a sigh.

"Are you and him…?" Cheen asked, trailing off.  Rose simply looked at her, and the other woman nodded after a moment.  "I never even asked," she said after another moment.  "Where’s home?"

"Oh…sort of everywhere," Rose said with a smile.  "We live in this…this amazing box that’s bigger on the inside, and we’ve got the whole universe as our back garden."

"Sounds nice," Cheen said, returning her smile.

"Yeah," she said.  _If I ever get back to it_ , she added silently to herself.

"So, um, who is he, then?" Milo asked.  "This Doctor?"

"He’s…oh…" She trailed off.  All this time, and she still didn’t have an adequate way to explain the Doctor to someone.  "He’s the Doctor.  He fixes things, everywhere, all the time.  Makes the whole universe better.  And the two of us…we’d rip apart heaven and Earth—or even New Earth—to get back to each other.  Wouldn’t be the first time."

"You make him sound like some sort of superhero," Milo said.

"Nah," she said.  "Not a superhero.  God, he’d hate hearing that.  He’s still got his faults and fallibilities, just like everyone else.  But what he’s also got is a brilliant mind, and courage enough to use it, even when the odds are stacked against him. You’ve got your faith, you’ve got your songs and your hymns. And I’ve got the Doctor."

The other two looked at her for a moment, then Milo nodded.

"Right," he said, turning the car back on.

"Systems back on line," the electronic voice said.

"Good luck," he said, glancing back at Rose.

"And you," she said.

With that, he shot forward again, attempting to duck and weave through the shrouded monsters outside their door.

oOoOo

The Doctor stared at a screen, his specs in place, as he tried to find the car Rose was in.

"Tell me, Doctor," came the voice of Boe.  "Did Rose Tyler succeed in avoiding her fall?"

He whirled around, staring at the giant face.  “How did you know about that?”

"I know a great many things you would not expect about yourself and Miss Tyler," he said.

The Doctor stared at him.  That wasn’t even possible.  They’d only even met Boe twice before, and it didn’t exactly seem like the type of thing she’d share.  Especially considering she’d just come back the first time they met, and she was trapped in her own mind the second.  But then, this was the Face of Boe, the living definition of enigmatic.

"Yeah," he said finally.  "Yeah, she did.  That’s who I’m looking for, actually," he added, turning back to the screen.

"She is quite extraordinary," Boe said.

"Yeah, she is," the Doctor replied, not turning around.

"Enough so, perhaps, that she deserves a title other than your ‘friend’," Boe added.

The Doctor stiffened, but didn’t look up.  “And what would you have me call her?”

"That emptiness you have, old friend, the one you ache to fill," Boe said.  "It is not her limitations that keep you from being whole, but your own fear that keeps you from her still."

What was _that_ supposed to mean?  Her body might be altered, but her mind…her mind was still that of an average human.

Right?

He heard the low chuckle from the Face of Boe and winced.  “There has never been anything ‘average’ about Rose Tyler, Doctor.”

"Oi," he said.  "Out of my head."

He turned his focus back to the task at hand, and felt a wave of dizzy relief hit him when he found the car.

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six—it still registers!" he cried happily.  "That’s Rose. Oh, that’s my girl. Novice Hame, hold that in place," he said, jumping away from the monitors and handing her a thick piece of tubing.  He ran along its length, hopping over a control box.  "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn’t enough power," Hame said.

"Ah, you’ve got power!" he said, reaching a control panel at the other end of the room.  "You’ve got me! I’m brilliant with computers, just you watch.  Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!" he yelled, pointing at another panel before jumping to a console, spinning a knob as he worked his sonic screwdriver over it.  "I can’t power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"So what are you going to do?" Hame asked as he jumped up and ran for another long switch in the floor.

"This!" he cried, flipping it—and all the lights went out.  "No, no no no no, no!"  He darted over to another set of controls, waving the sonic screwdriver over it.  "The transformers are blocked. The signal can’t get through."

"Doctor…" the Face of Boe said.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," he said impatiently.

"I give you my last…" Boe said, and let out a long, rasping breath.  Every light in every console lit back up as power surged through the system.  The Doctor leapt to his feet, glancing around.

"Hame, look after him!" he ordered.  "Don’t you go dying on me, you big old face. You’ve got to see this.  The open road. Hah!" he cried as he flipped the switch again. 

oOoOo

Martha had stared at the emergency hatch, stunned, long after Brannigan had stepped over and closed it.  He’d said Rose wasn’t and never had been “just” anything…but he’d risked so much, the choking fumes and dizzying heights between cars, just to get to her, after saying she was _everything_.  That was a level of devotion Martha had never seen and couldn’t wrap her mind around.

Once she’d moved past that, she was worried sick for all of them, herself included.  If for some reason the Doctor couldn’t get back…if something happened to him…she’d be stuck here.  She’d never even thought about it before she’d followed him into his big blue box, and she barely even knew him.  There was so much he never said, that neither of them ever said.  Now her family would never even know if anything happened to her.  Then the doors at the top of the motorway started crashing open, and she’d felt wary hope.  She knew he was good…but he couldn’t possibly be _that_ good.  Then she saw him on the screen and shrieked with happiness.

"Sorry, no Sally Calypso," he said.  "She was just a hologram. My name’s the Doctor."

"He’s a magician," Brannigan said in disbelief.

"He’s the Doctor!" Martha cried.

"And this is an order," the Doctor continued on screen.  "Everyone drive up. Right now."

"Is he serious?" Brannigan asked as Valerie laughed.

"Oh, he’s serious," Martha said happily.  "Completely mad, but completely serious.  Do as he says!"

"I’ve opened the roof of the motorway," said the hologram.  "Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast!"

"Here we go," Brannigan said, opening the engines completely and driving up.

"We’ve got to clear that fast lane," the Doctor said.  "Drive up and get out of the way."

oOoOo

Down in the fast lane, Milo was dodging claws and scrapes as much as possible while the whole car shuddered and lurched.

"Oi! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six!" the Doctor said on the screen suddenly.  "Rose! Drive up!"

"That’s the Doctor!" Rose cried happily.

"We can’t go up!" Milo protested.  "We’ll hit the layer!"

"Just do as he says!" Rose ordered.  "Drive up!"

"You’ve got access above!" the Doctor said on screen.  "Now go!"

All three looked up as the car pulled free of the last of the fog, heading toward the opening in the roof, sunlight streaming down on them.

"I told you he was good," Rose said happily.

"It’s daylight!" Cheen said in raptured disbelief.  "Oh my God. That’s the sky, the real sky!"

"Yep," Rose said, popping the ‘p’ and grinning madly as she threw an arm around each of them.  "That’s the Doctor.  He makes things better."

oOoOo

"Did I tell you, Doctor?" Brannigan said over the transmitter.  "You’re not bad, sir. You’re not bad at all!"

"You keep driving, Brannigan," he said, grinning as he watched it all from the screens.  "All the way up! ‘Cause it’s here, just waiting for you."  He danced over to the window, pulling the microphone with him.  "The city of New New York. And it’s yours.  Oh, and you’ve got something of mine…you still there Martha Jones?"

"I’m here, Doctor!" he heard her cry and grinned.

"Right, my friend and my coat," he said.  "I’ll be needing those back, if you would be so kind."

"I reckon that’s a fair bargain, sir," Brannigan said with a laugh.

"And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I’ve sent you a flight path as well," he said.  "Come to the Senate."

"On my way!" he heard Rose call, and his smile softened to the one that was only for her.

"It’s been quite a while since I saw you, Rose Tyler," he said softly around the lump in his throat.

"Doctor!" Hame called behind him, and he spun around, horrified, as the glass case around the Face of Boe began to crack.

oOoOo

Rose met Martha on the steps of the Senate, hugging her happily.

"I can’t believe he left you his coat," she said with a giggle as they raced into the building.  "He loves that coat."

"Yeah, so he said, a lot," Martha said with a grin.

Their laughter died as they entered the Senate and saw the grizzly scene inside.  Rose was stunned that this beautiful city had come to this so quickly.

"Doctor?" Martha called.

"Over here," he called back.

"Doctor!" Rose said as the followed his voice.  "What happened out there?"

They turned a corner, and Rose let out a gasp at the sight of the Face of Boe, lying amidst the shattered remains of his glass case.  She hurried to kneel beside the Doctor, and his arm immediately went around her, pulling her close as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"What’s that?" Martha asked.

"It’s the Face of Boe," the Doctor said, glancing back at her.  "It’s all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame."

"What happened?" Rose whispered, tears filling her eyes as she thought of her dear old friend, back when he was young, his eyes a startling blue and his laugh infectious.

"He’s the one that saved you, not me," the Doctor said.

"My lord gave his life to save the city," Hame said.  "And now he’s dying."

"No, don’t say that," the Doctor said.  "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"It’s good to breathe the air once more," Boe said.  "And to see you again by his side, Rose Tyler.  You truly do create yourself."

_Oh, Jack_ , she thought miserably, sure that had he wanted the Doctor to know who he was, he would have said so himself.  _I’m so sorry…for everything._

_Don’t cry for me,_ he said in her mind.  _I’ve had a long life, thanks to you. Ah, but I’m so old now…old enough to have outlived my happy ending long ago.  It’s time I rested.  But this isn’t the end for you, Rose Tyler.  We’ll meet again…and we’ll always have the Blitz._

"Who is he?" Martha asked as Rose reached out a hand and stroked Boe gently.

"I don’t even know," the Doctor said softly.  "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn’t that right? And you’re not about to give up now."

"Everything has its time," Boe said.  "You know that, old friend, better than most."

"The legend says more," Hame said, and Rose looked up tearfully.

"Don’t," the Doctor said.  "There’s no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler," she persisted.

"Yeah, but not yet," the Doctor said, a little desperately.  "Who needs secrets, eh?"

"I have seen so much," Boe said.  "Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind — as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

"That’s why we have to survive," the Doctor said, his voice breaking.  "Both of us. Don’t go."

"I must," Boe said softly.  "But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone."

Rose felt the Doctor freeze next to her as Boe’s eyes closed.  Tears streamed down her face and he pulled her close automatically, but she could see the stunned incomprehension on his face as Hame began to sob.  After another moment, he stood, pulling her up with him and walking over to Martha to put an arm around her shoulders as well.

oOoOo

Brannigan met them outside the Senate, offering them a lift back to Pharmacy Town, which they gladly took.  They made their way back to the alley where the TARDIS was parked in fairly pleasant moods, despite the sadness of Boe’s passing…Brannigan tended to have that effect on people.

"You know, Doctor," Rose said, swinging their laced hands between them.  "I think I need a sonic…something of my own.  I’m getting a little bored with this whole…damsel in distress routine."

"Oh…but you pull it off so well," the Doctor said with a small smile.  "Eh…I’ll think about it.  I am going to have to do something about the phones though.  Really, Rose, third time out, and it’s in pieces."

"That wasn’t my fault!" she said.  "But I am sorry.  I know you get…touchy when things go wrong."

"Touchy?" Martha asked incredulously.  "Is _that_ what that was?  God, I’d hate to see you really angry then.”

"Anyway," the Doctor said pointedly, pulling Rose around the corner as she laughed.  He sauntered down the street the vendors were in, and found it deserted.  "All closed down," he commented, looking around.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," he said, stopping to inspect one of the empty stalls.  "New New York can start again. And they’ve got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs — cats in charge! Come on, time we were off."

Martha stopped and watched them.  Maybe she _had_ gotten everything wrong…he’d made that obvious.  But they completely refused to offer her a clearer picture—of either of them.  She’d gone into the blue box without looking back, and she still knew next to nothing about them.  She’d met people who were private before, but these two were practically Swiss vaults, and she couldn’t take it anymore.

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" she asked, and he turned around, releasing Rose’s hand. “‘You’re not alone’," she repeated.

"I don’t know," he said, his face guarded.

"You’ve got me and Rose," she said with a smile as she stepped forward. "Is that what he meant?"

He exchanged a glance with Rose. No, that’s not what he meant. But what he meant could only be a lie.

"I don’t think so," he said. "Sorry."

"Then what?" she asked.

"Doesn’t matter," he said, turning away. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go." He touched the small of Rose’s back, heading back for the TARDIS, but heard the scrape of a chair behind him. He stopped and turned again. "All right, you staying?"

“‘Till you talk to me properly, yes,” she said, sitting with her arms and legs crossed. “He said ‘last of your kind.’ What does that mean?”

"It really doesn’t matter," he said.

"You don’t talk," she said, annoyed and exasperated. "You never say! Why not?"

"Hold on," Rose said, stepping forward with a stormy expression. "You’ve known him, what, three days? And you were only offered _a_ trip. What do you think gives you the right to sit there and demand answers from him like that?”

"And you!" she cried, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward. "I don’t get it. I was so sure I had you pegged, just some estate girl who lucked into all of this, but then you and him talk and it’s like you’re in your own little world. What does it mean when you say you’re mostly human, or that you ‘create yourself’? And how come you seem to know everything about him, but I can’t even get a simple answer for how long you’ve been travelling together? And why…I mean, he just changed a whole city, maybe a whole planet, just to get you back. For the better, I’ll grant you, but…who does that?"

Around them, music began to swell. Rose and Martha both looked up.

"We do," the Doctor said softly as the song of the city washed over them. "I don’t know that you could fully comprehend the lengths that we would—and have—gone to for each other." He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Rose knows more about me than anyone, without a doubt. But she’s also all I’ve got—the only person that I can have any sort of hope will still be with me long after you’ve gone home, after you and everyone you know have lived out your lives and passed on into a memory."

"What about other Time Lords?" she asked.

He looked at her steadily for a moment.  It wouldn’t kill either of them to give her something.  Not everything, mind…not even Rose got _everything_ about him.  It still hurt to talk about anything with someone other than Rose…but not nearly as much as it might have _before_ Rose.  He could offer Martha something.

He walked over and pulled up a chair for Rose, then one for himself. Rose, as usual, knew what he was doing before he spoke, and had a hand on his shoulder as soon as he sat down, leaning on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him.

"There are no other Time Lords," he said quietly. "I can’t take you to my planet because it’s gone. They all died. The Face of Boe was wrong. There’s no one else."

"What happened to them?" Martha asked hesitantly.

He looked down at his hands, and could almost still see the blood on them. How to tell another innocent girl about the monster he was?

"There was a war," Rose said softly, and he looked up at her. "One that no one could win.  And no one did.  The Doctor survived…but no one else did.  His planet, his people…they were destroyed.”

Martha stared at the two people in front of her as the Doctor lowered his head to stare at his hands once more. Here was this great, powerful, brilliant man, head bowed against the weight of a pain she couldn’t even imagine—and the girl she’d assumed was a simple Estate girl was still there, unflinching, supporting him.  She caught sight again of the necklace Rose wore, the strangely scarred looking heart on either side of a key.

_Two hearts_ , she thought suddenly, staring at them.  And he’d given them to Rose, after whatever tragedy took everything else from him.

"I’m sorry," she said softly, apologizing now for everything—the petty jealousy, the demands for painful answers, the assumptions that were so completely wrong. The Doctor looked up at her and smiled gently.

"You should have seen it, that old planet," he said softly. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song…"

She listened as the last of the Time Lords spoke in a hushed voice. He didn’t talk about the war, or how he’d survived, or the people that had perished. Just described, in heartbreaking detail, the home he’d lost, the one he’d never see again, as the city sang it’s song of hope and renewal around them.


	16. Homeward Bound

When they finally made it back onboard the TARDIS on New Earth, the Doctor said she would need a few minutes in the Vortex to recalibrate before they could take Martha home, and gave the girl permission to explore to her heart’s content until that time.  Rose watched her wander away with a thoughtful expression on her face.  She wasn’t surprised…the information Martha had managed to procure took a while to process.

“So what do you think he meant?” Rose asked after a moment.  “The Face of Boe?”

The Doctor shrugged.  “Like I told Martha, I don’t know.”

“But he made it sound like—“

“I know,” the Doctor said, cutting her off and looking down at the console.  “I was there.  It doesn’t change anything.”

“You’re sure?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” he said shortly, moving around the console.

“Is there any way someone could—“

“Can we just leave it, Rose?” he asked, looking up at her.  “Just once?  Can we please let something go without dissecting it and analyzing it?  Because let me tell you, I have a considerable mind.  I looked at that little declaration from a dozen different angles seconds after he said it, and it still means nothing.  I told you before, I’d know if there was anyone left, in here,” he said, tapping the side of his head.  “But I don’t.  It’s empty.  As empty as it has been since the moment their screams finally stopped.  As empty as it always will be.  There’s no one to fill it, and no one can change that, no matter what that giant face claimed about _anything_.  So do me a favor: just forget he said anything and leave it alone.”

He said all this with increasing bitterness, more than she’d seen in a long time, until the last words were spit out at her as he looked back down at the console, fidgeting with the controls distractedly.  She stared at him for a moment, unsure what to say or do, but suddenly furious with the Face of Boe, or Jack, or whoever the hell he was.  He ripped open one of the Doctor’s deepest wounds, without justification or explanation, and then just _died_ , which he wasn’t supposed to be able to do anyway.

If she saw him again, which sounded likely, she was going to throttle him, whatever form he was in.

“Okay,” she said finally.  “Alright.  Leaving it alone.”

She stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.  She felt his sigh before his hand came up to hold her arms, squeezing gently.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, then twisted around to face her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I do wish there was something I could do for you, though,” she said softly, leaning her head against his chest, surprised when she felt him stiffen again.

“You can’t,” he said roughly.

“I know,” she said.

“No, really, you can’t,” he said, pulling away and frowning down at her.  She stared back, confused at the sudden intensity in his eyes, mixed with…something else.

“Alright,” she said.  “That’s not going to stop me from wishing I could.”

He looked down at her for another moment, his eyes dark and full of some war she didn’t understand.  Then he took a deep breath and swallowed, his eyes clearing a little as he brought a hand up to her cheek.

“I know that,” he said softly.  “You wouldn’t be Rose Tyler if you didn’t wish for impossible things.”

“Not just me,” she said with a smile.  “The Doctor and Rose Tyler, wishing for the impossible every day…sometimes even achieving it.”

“Sometimes,” he said, sounding sad as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead.  “However, for the moment, I think we should remain in the realm of possibility…at least long enough to return Miss Jones to the _relative_ peace of her home and family.”

“Were they really that bad?” Rose asked, remembering something he said about seeing a family feud in the street.

“Eh, I dunno,” he said slowly.  “Might have just been a bad night.  Or…Martha may be the one caught in the crossfire quite a lot more than she should be.  Domestics,” he added, pulling a face.

Rose chuckled and shook her head.  “Alright, well, you…do your thing.  I’ll go find Martha.”

The Doctor watched her go, his mind tortured by the two lies he’d heard within an hour of each other.  He honestly didn’t know which one hurt more right now—the idea that there might be someone else out there, or that he could actually have the impossible with Rose.  He couldn’t even bring himself to tell her about the latter…just having to explain it, why they could never have that, why he still had to keep part of himself from her, would be excruciating.  He knew that somehow, she’d make it her fault, and he couldn’t take that.  He just had to keep dealing with the ache, however much it grew.  As for the other lie…he couldn’t even think about it.  It was too easy to hope, to wonder, to believe that there was someone left, who it could be…whether maybe Romana…or…Susan…

He shook his head.  It would do him no good to consider things that couldn’t exist.  He pushed both to some dark, easily forgotten corner of his mind as he turned back to the console.

oOoOo

Martha was out on the Powell Estate balcony when Rose found her.  The other girl joined her, leaning against the railing and staring out at the simulated horizon for a moment.

“You alright?” she asked finally.

“Yeah,” Martha said, then looked at her.  “I guess I just wasn’t expecting…that.  I mean, he always seems so cheerful and happy…”

“I think that’s probably why he does that,” Rose mused.  “Partially, anyway.  He wants people to believe that he’s in control and happy, because then they won’t ask questions.  He doesn’t want pity for something that can’t be changed, or for people to try to understand something they can’t.  Although…I do like to think that he’s genuinely happy sometimes.”

Martha was quiet for a moment, pondering this.  She had a feeling now that if the Doctor was ever genuinely happy…it was because of Rose.

“So what about you?” she asked finally.

“What about me?”

“Well, he explained the whole…last of his kind…thing,” she said slowly.  “So what about you?  Mostly human?  Create yourself?  Will still be around after I’ve ‘passed on into memory’?”

Rose looked at her carefully, then laughed, shaking her head.  “You really don’t give up, do you?”

“I’m going home anyway,” Martha said reasonably with a shrug.  “What have I got to lose by asking another question before we land?”

“Oh…fair point,” Rose said, leaning back while holding on to the railing.  “Well…we got…separated.  A while back…god, seems like forever ago.  Anyway.  I took some…extreme measures to get back to him, and it led to a few…unexpected side-effects.  One of which is that I don’t age.  And I’m not going to die for a long, long time.”

“What extreme measures?” Martha asked, now curious beyond reasonable restraint.

Rose gave her a sideways glance as she straightened, leaning on the railing again.  “Honestly?  I ripped open the TARDIS so I could look into the Time Vortex and _temporarily_ control time and space.”

“…Wasn’t that…I dunno…really dangerous?” Martha asked, stunned.

“Extremely,” she said, nodding vigorously.  “Should’ve died.  But, if I hadn’t done it, he would’ve died.  So…no real choice, was there?”

Martha stared at her in shock.  Neither of them knew the meaning of the word “impossible” apparently.  _Just an Estate girl, indeed,_ she thought, shaking her head.

“God, he wasn’t kidding,” she said aloud.

“Nope,” Rose said.  “All or nothing, that’s us.”

“And you really live like that…all the time?” Martha asked.

“Nah, not all the time,” Rose said, then smiled.  “Trouble’s just the bits in between.  There’s a whole universe out there, full of amazing things and people, and it’s worth the…battles, just to be able to see all that, to _live_ all that.  And being able to do all that with the Doctor…well…I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I’m sorry,” Martha said after a moment, and Rose turned and looked at her.  “For…for the way I acted back there, and for…the way I misjudged you.”

Rose studied her for a moment, then nodded.  “It’s alright.  We’re good.  I’ve kind of forgotten what it’s like outside the Doctor’s bubble.  It’s frustrating when you can’t get straight answers about anything.”

“Something tells me you never had a problem with that,” Martha said.

“Oh…never say never, ever,” she replied quickly.  “But you and I are two very different people with two _vastly_ different experiences with the Doctor.  Don’t compare yourself to me.  You’ll just drive us both mad.  Just be you.”

“You know…I’m not totally sure who that is,” Martha said suddenly.  Without having to play the part of dutiful daughter or family counselor or perfect student, she felt a bit lost.

“You’re Martha Jones,” Rose said with a grin.  “And you’re brilliant.  Anyway, we should get back before he comes looking for us, cause it’s never fun to see a Time Lord whine.  Trust me.”

Martha laughed, then followed her out into the corridor thoughtfully.


	17. The Lazarus Experiment (part 1)

“Ah, lovely!” the Doctor said as the two girls entered the console room.  “Perfect timing.  Recalibration complete, off we go.  First stop, London, Earth…flat of one Martha Jones.”  The TARDIS gave a thump as it landed, and the Doctor grinned.  “There we go…perfect landing, which isn’t easy in such a tight spot.”

"Home then?" Martha asked hesitantly, her mind still on the conversation she’d had with Rose.

"The end of the line," the Doctor said gently.  "No place like it."

She stood and walked slowly out the door into her flat, noting with some pleasure that they’d followed her.  At least she was going to get a proper goodbye, not just them disappearing again.

"How long has it been?" she asked.

"Only about 12 hours," the Doctor said.  "No time at all, really."

"You sure?" Rose asked innocently.  "I mean…I know how easy it is to mix up the months and the hours…"

"One time!" he cried, turning to her.  "That happened _one time_.”

"My mum thought I was dead," Rose said evenly, and Martha’s eyes widened in horror.  "And that Mickey was a murderer."

"Yeah…and I got _slapped_ , and was accused of being some sort of…some sort of online _predator_ ,” the Doctor said, turning from her again to wander around Martha’s living room.  “So I think I’ve already been fitly punished for that _accident_ already.”

Rose giggled, and Martha stared at her.

"You two are…so strange," she said finally.

"That’s us," the Doctor said with a wink and a grin.

"But…it really has only been twelve hours?" she asked after a moment.  "All that stuff we did…Shakespeare, New New York…"

“ _Yes_ , Martha,” the Doctor said firmly.  “I promise.  All happened in one night—relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was—books, CDs…laundry,” he added, nodding at the drying rack with an arched eyebrow before turning to her pictures.  Rose smiled as Martha snatched some of the more…intimate items off the rack.  “So, back were you were, as promised.”

"This is it?" Martha asked, looking between them.

The Doctor took a deep breath, touching Rose’s back.  “Yeah, we should probably…um…”

He trailed off, glancing at the phone as it rang and the ansaphone picked up.

"I’m sorry," Martha said as she heard her mum’s voice come out of the speaker.  "It’s Mum.  It’ll wait."

They nodded, quiet while the message played out.

"All right then, pretend that you’re out if you like," the voice of Martha’s mum continued, and the Doctor smiled.  "I was only calling to say that your sister’s on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha asked, picking up the remote and frowning as she turned on the television.  The other two moved to stand by her and watch.

"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device…" an elderly man was saying at a press conference, and Martha saw her sister standing just behind his right shoulder.

"She’s got a new job," she explained to Rose and the Doctor.  "PR for some research lab."

"…with the push of a single button," the man continued, “I will change what it means to be human."

Martha shook her head and switched off the TV, turning back to the pair, who were still frowning at the box.

"Sorry," she said.  "You were saying you should…?"

"Yes…" the Doctor said distractedly, then shook himself and looked up at her.  "Yes, we should. One trip is what we said."

"Yeah," Martha said.  "I suppose things just kind of…escalated."

"That happens to us a lot," Rose said with a grin before stepping forward to hug her.  Martha froze in surprise for a moment before hugging her back with a bemused smile.  "Be brilliant," she said.

"Thanks," she said, then turned to the Doctor.  "Really, thank you. For everything."

"It was my pleasure," he said with a smile before ushering Rose into the TARDIS and closing the door behind him.

Martha stepped back as the engines groaned, watching as the TARDIS dematerialized.  She took a deep breath and looked around.  It was strange how everything still looked so…ordinary…after the days she’d been through.  She sighed and turned to the bedroom, intending to change, but spun back when the sound of the TARDIS engines filled the room again.  The Doctor’s head popped out as soon as it rematerialized.

"No, I’m sorry," he said.  "Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

Once Martha got over the shock of them being back, she made some quick phone calls to find out exactly what was happening.  Apparently, the man’s name was Richard Lazarus, and he was going to be holding some sort of demonstration that night during a lavish party at his labs.  Because of Tish, Martha was invited, and the Doctor promptly invited himself and Rose along.  Rose pulled Martha deeper into the TARDIS and showed her the Wardrobe, grinning while the other girl stared in amazement at the options available.  In the end, she decided to wear something she already had, but did agree to take advantage of the amazing vanity available to do her hair and makeup.

“Can I ask you something, Martha?” Rose asked as they worked on themselves in the mirrors.

“Suppose,” Martha said.  “I’ve asked you enough lately.”

“Your family,” Rose said slowly, cutting her eyes over to the girl.  “The night the Doctor picked you up…are they always like that?”

“He told you about that, huh?” Martha said warily, then shrugged.  “I suppose.  I mean, when Mum and Dad get together, it usually turns into…something like that.”

“That’s too bad,” Rose said with a frown.  “Must be hard being the neutral party in all that.”

“Sometimes,” Martha said with a shrug.  “But that’s just…family, you know?”

“Not really,” Rose admitted.  “Just Mum and me when I was growing up, and when she did get married…god, they were just ridiculously happy.  Like, almost made you nauseous to be around them happy.”

“Kind of like you and the Doctor?” Martha asked with a sly grin.

“Oh, god no,” Rose said with a laugh.  “He and I drive each other up the wall sometimes.  But…we always know we’ve got each other, no matter how crazy we make each other.  Which, I guess, is kind of what you were saying.  Things you put up with for family.  I guess I just hate the idea that you might be missing out on life because you’re busy putting out fires that your family started.”

Martha shrugged, unsure what else to say.  That wasn’t entirely accurate…but it was probably more so than she felt comfortable with.  She wasn’t sure when the last time she’d actually done something for herself had been before following the Doctor into the TARDIS.  That, she vowed, needed to change, now that she was back home.

oOoOo

The Doctor frowned at the monitor as he tied his bow tie, watching the press conference for Lazarus again.  Whatever this man was planning, he was reasonably certain it wasn’t going to be good.  A statement like that couldn’t be made lightly, and if it was too dangerous, he’d have to put a stop to it.  He sighed.  Just once, he’d like to be able to wear his tux and not end up in mortal danger.  He somehow doubted that tonight would be that night.

He looked up when he heard the voices of the girls coming down the corridor and flipped off the monitor, making an impatient noise as Martha entered the console room, looking gussied up in a purple flowey dress.  Then he saw Rose and stopped breathing completely.

She was wearing a strappy dress that left one of her shoulders bare, ending a few inches above her knee and, amazingly, nearly matched the TARDIS in the shade of blue.  It was gathered and rusched asymmetrically, fitting gloriously to her curves and adding interesting textures that he would dearly love to run his tactile fingers over, and had silver beaded accents across her shoulder and hip that caught the eye when she moved.  She smiled at him and spun, and he swallowed hard when he saw the way the strap cut away in the back to reveal the smooth skin of her back.  Together with the matching heels that strapped around her ankles, the low side bun, and the various pieces of jewelry he’d given her, she created a look that was slightly funky, very classy, and dead sexy all at the same time.

"You like it?" she asked, grinning at him.

"Rose…that’s not a dress," he said, tugging at his collar and arching an eyebrow as he stepped closer.  "That’s a scandal.  How am I going to concentrate on what’s happening tonight with you looking like that?"

"Oh…well…I could change…" she said, a shade uncertainly.

"Don’t you dare," he said in a low voice, reaching out to tug her closer as his eyes raked over her again.  "You look stunning, Rose."

"Not so bad yourself," she teased with a grin before he leaned down to kiss her.

"Yes, you both look amazing," Martha said impatiently after a moment, and Rose pulled away, licking her lips with a smile.  "But as lovely as all this is, we do have somewhere to be."

"Right you are, Martha Jones," the Doctor said, straightening with a sigh.  "Festivities await.  Allons-y!"

They took a taxi to the lab, the Doctor making the executive decision that technology that actually _could_ change what it meant to be human would probably be best kept away in Martha’s flat.  The taxi dropped them off a block away from the party, and they walked toward it together, the Doctor fussing with his cuffs.

"Oh, black tie," he said with a frown.  "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It’s not the outfit, that’s just you," Martha said, shaking her head and Rose grinned.  "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond?" he asked in derision, pulling a face, then seemed to consider it as he turned to Rose.  "Really?  Hold on, does that mean—“

"No, I’m not going to be Miss Moneypenny, so you can let go of that thought right now," Rose said, holding up a hand.  Martha snickered at his pout, while Rose simply rolled her eyes.

They chatted happily as they approached the grand entrance to the lab, but Martha slowed to a stop before reaching the doors.

"What’s the matter?" the Doctor asked, turning to watch her.

"Well, I only get a plus one, don’t I?" she said.  "How am I supposed to get you both in?"

"I wouldn’t worry about that," the Doctor said, fishing the psychic paper out of his pocket.  "I’m very good at crashing parties."

He winked and waved her in front of them, and she cast a last uncertain look before approaching the door man.  She needn’t have worried.  The Doctor flashed the paper confidently, and used every ounce of charisma and charm he possessed as he explained that they had received a last minute invitation from Lazarus himself, an explanation that was smoothed over nicely by the stunning blonde on his arm smiling prettily at the door man.  The Doctor thanked him as they were waved through, and Martha shook her head.

"You know that probably wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without Rose," she said quietly.

"Very little does," he replied, looking around and spotting a waiter with a tray of hors d’oeuvres.  "Oh, look, they’ve got nibbles! I love nibbles!"

"One of the most powerful men in the universe everybody," Rose said with a laugh, but he just grinned at her.  "Right, I’m going to get some champagne and…mingle.  Back in a tick."

The Doctor nodded, his eyes getting a little glazed as he watched her walk away.  Martha rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs as her sister joined them.

"You look great," Tish said after they’d greeted each other and hugged.  "So, what do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?"

"Very," she said, nodding as she looked around the room again.

"And two nights out in a row for you," Tish said.  "That’s dangerously close to a social life."

"If I keep this up, I’ll end up in all the gossip columns," Martha said with a smile.

"You might, actually," Tish agreed.  "Keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum—she’s coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie?" Martha asked incredulously.  "That I must see."  She saw Tish glance to the side, and looked up to see the Doctor watching them with a bemused smile.  "Oh, this is, uh, the Doctor."

"Hello," he said, grinning widely as he shook her hand.

"Is he with you?" Tish asked.

"Um…sort of," she hedged.

"But he’s not on the list," Tish said.  "How did he get in?"

"Oh…I’m very good with lists," the Doctor said evasively.  "So, this Lazarus bloke, he’s your boss?"

"Professor Lazarus, yes," Tish said, drawing herself up importantly.  "I’m part of his executive staff."

"She’s in the PR department," Martha said, rolling her eyes.

"I’m head of the PR department, actually," Tish said as the Doctor arched a brow.

"You’re joking," Martha said, stunned.

"I put this whole thing together," she said.

"So, um, do you know what the professor’s going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor asked, glancing between them and attempting to steer the conversation to something more pertinent and less uncomfortable.  "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

"He’s a science geek," Tish said, eyeing him.  "I should’ve known. Gotta get back to work now. I’ll catch up with you later."

"Science geek?" the Doctor asked as she walked away.  "What does that mean?"

"That your obsessively enthusiastic about it," Martha said with a smile.

"Oh," he said, considering this, then smiled.  "Nice."

She shook her head, then heard her mother’s voice calling her.  She turned, and everything from the last few days crashed through her, every moment of fear and uncertainty that seemed to fill the lives of the Doctor and Rose.  It had just been a few hours ago that she’d been in Brannigan’s car, wondering if the Doctor was going to make it back for her, and there was Francine Jones, in all her Earth-bound glory.  Martha practically sprinted to her, throwing her arms around her.

"Oh!" Francine said in happy surprise as she returned Martha’s embrace.  "All right, what’s the occasion?"

"What do you mean?" Martha asked.  "I’m just pleased to see you, that’s all."

"You saw me last night," her mum reminded her.

"I know," Martha said, trying to cover up her exuberant reaction.  "I just…miss you. You’re looking good, Leo," she added, turning to her younger brother.

"Yeah," Leo snorted.  "If anyone asks me to fetch ‘em a drink, I’ll swing for him."

"You disappeared last night," Francine said slowly as Martha smiled.

"I…just went home," she said.

"On your own?" her mum asked, glancing meaningfully behind her.

"This is a friend of mine, the Doctor," Martha said hurriedly pulling him forward.

"Doctor what?" Francine asked suspiciously as the Doctor shook Leo’s hand.

"No, it’s just the Doctor," Martha said.  "We’ve been doing some work together."

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones," the Doctor said, shaking her hand.  "Heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" Francine asked, clearly doubting this.  "What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you’re Martha’s mother," the Doctor stammered, looking caught out. "And…um… No, actually, that’s…that’s about it. We haven’t had much time to chat, you know, been busy."

"Busy?" Francine asked.  "Doing what, exactly?"

"Martha’s been helping us with some research into medical practices of the 16th century," said a voice behind the Doctor.  Martha decided then and there that Rose was her new best friend as she stepped around the Doctor and saved them all from death by awkwardness.  "With some deviation into the possibilities that will be available in the distant future.  Hello, I’m Rose Tyler," she added, holding out her hand.

"Francine Jones," the older woman said, eyeing Rose.  A tapping on the glass signaling for attention stopped her from saying anything else, however, and Martha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," she said quietly to Rose.

"He’s rubbish with mums," the other girl said, shaking her head.  The Doctor frowned at them, but apparently decided not to comment.  He crossed his arms as Lazarus made his way to the podium in front of the stark white cabinet that dominated the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the elderly man said to the crowd.  "I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I’m going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you’ll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

He entered the cabinet, and technicians began working on a bank of instruments to the side of it.  There was a high pitched whirring sound as the four pillars around the cabinet began to spin individually around the cabinet, creating some sort of energy field as their pace picked up.  The speed kept increasing, however, and an alarm sounded from the controls.

"Something’s wrong," the Doctor said.  "It’s overloading."

He sprinted to the controls, vaulting over a low desk as panels began to explode into sparks.  He flicked on his sonic, running it over the machinery as he worked furiously at the controls, trying to restore some kind of balance to the device.

"Somebody stop him!" a woman shouted near the front of the crowd.  "Get him away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes off, it’ll take the whole building with it!" he shouted.  "Is that what you want?"

He finally gave up working with the controls, scrambling over the desk again and simply pulling one of the main cables connecting the cabinet and machinery.  Rose and Martha darted up to the cabinet as the pillars came to a halt.

"Get it open!" the Doctor shouted as he joined them.

Rose managed to wrench the door free and took a hurried step back as smoke billowed out of the cabinet.  After a moment, through the smoke, a man appeared.  All eyes in the room widened as a tall, dapper man in his mid-thirties stepped shakily from the cabinet, looking at his hands and touching his face uncertainly.  As he grew more accustomed to his appearance, he smiled, spreading his arms wide in a gesture of triumph.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus," he said.  "I am 76 years old and I am reborn!"

After another moment basking in accolades, Lazarus moved into the crowd, chatting and taking pictures with amazed guests.  The Doctor and Rose moved around the cabinet, examining various parts of the device.

"It can’t be the same guy," Martha said, watching Lazarus.  "It’s impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it’s not a trick," the Doctor said, frowning as he studied a pillar.  "I wish it were."

"What just happened, then?" Martha asked.

The Doctor took a deep breath, looking at Lazarus.  “He just changed what it means to be human.”

"But, wait, hold on," Martha said, turning around to the other two.  "Isn’t that sort of what Rose did?  Changed what it meant to be human, living longer?"

"Completely different circumstance," the Doctor said quickly, crouching down by the pillar.  " _And_ an accident,” he added, glancing up at Martha briefly.

"This was all ego and vanity," Rose murmured, running a hand over the cabinet and frowning.  "And, really, pretty impossible.  This sort of technology shouldn’t even exist, much less in this century."

"Good point," the Doctor said, rising again.  "So how’d he come up with it, hmm?  I think…it might be time for a chat with our gracious host."

"Who’s that he’s talking to?" Martha asked as they climbed down from the platform, nodding to the elderly woman now talking to Lazarus.

"That’s Lady Thaw," Rose said quietly.  "Apparently, she’s a rich old biddy who has a habit on backing anyone with schemes to revive and rejuvenate…or at least rejuvenate her bank account."  The Doctor arched a brow.  "What?  I said I was mingling."

As they approached, Lady Thaw cried out, aghast, as Lazarus picked up a passing tray of hors d’oeuvres, popping them into his mouth quickly.

"I’m famished," he said, still eating.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor told him calmly as they stepped around him.  "Always happens with this kind of process."

"You speak as if you see this every day," Lazarus said, eyeing the Doctor. "Mr…?"

"Doctor," he corrected.  "And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

"That’s not possible," Lazarus said with a condescending smirk.

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," the Doctor said without blinking.  "That’s—that’s inspired."

"You understand the theory, then," Lazarus said, studying him carefully.

"Enough to know that you couldn’t possibly have allowed for all the variables," the Doctor said.

"No experiment is entirely without risk," Lazarus said dismissively.

"Risk?" Rose asked in disbelief.  "That thing nearly exploded. Never mind that you may as well have stepped into a blender, you nearly took the whole place down with you."

"You’re not qualified to comment," Lady Thaw said, eyeing her distastefully.

"Yeah?  And what’s you _expert_ analysis then?” Rose said acidly. 

"If I hadn’t stopped it, it would have exploded," the Doctor cut in.

"Then I thank you, Doctor," Lazarus said.  "But that’s a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You’ve no way of knowing that until you’ve run proper tests," Martha said.

"Look at me!" Lazarus said with a laugh.  "You can see what happened. I’m all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," Lady Thaw said, in an attempt to reassure them, but all three stared at her in horror.

"You’re gonna try to mass market this death trap?" Rose asked.

"You are joking," Martha said, shaking her head.  "That’ll cause chaos."

"Not chaos," Lazarus said.  "Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn’t about improving," the Doctor spat.  "It’s about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor," Lazarus said.  "A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard, we have things to discuss," Lady Thaw interjected with a distasteful glance at the three.  "Upstairs."

"Goodbye, Doctor," Lazarus said as he moved past them to follow Lady Thaw, who was already walking away.  He stopped after a few steps and turned back.  "In a few years, you’ll look back and laugh at how wrong you were."

He moved to take Rose’s hand, but she simply stared back at him coldly.  He smirked and held a hand out to Martha instead, and she shook it automatically, but pulled a face when he brought it up to his lips for a kiss before releasing her and walking away.

"Ooh, he’s out of his depth," the Doctor said.  "No idea of the damage he might have done."

"Well," Rose said, looking around.  "This building should be full of labs, yeah?  What’s to stop us from doing our own tests?"

"Especially since I’ve just collected a DNA sample," Martha said, holding up her hand with a smile.

The Doctor looked between the two women and smiled.  “Oh…you two, you’re stars.”


	18. The Lazarus Experiment (part 2)

They found a vacant lab and quickly set to work analyzing the DNA sample on Martha’s hand.

"Amazing," the Doctor breathed, staring at the DNA diagram on the screen.

"What?" Martha asked, trying to see what he was seeing.

"Lazarus’s DNA," the Doctor said.

"I can’t see anything different," Rose said, peering over his shoulder.  He made an irritated noise and pulled her around so their position was flipped, with her in front of the monitor.

"Look at it!" he said excitedly as the image flickered and the diagram was altered.

"Oh, my God!" Rose said, straightening in surprise.  "Did that just change?"

"But it can’t have!" Martha cried, leaning closer and staring at it incredulously.

"But it did," the Doctor assured her.

"It’s impossible," Martha said.

"And that’s two impossible things we’ve seen tonight," he replied with a smile.  "Don’t you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha said, stunned.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands," the Doctor said rapid fire.

"So, what, he hacked into his own genes?" Rose asked when he took a breath, and he stared at her.  "Gave them orders to regenerate or restore themselves?"

He beamed at her.  “That, Rose Tyler, is exactly what he did.  But that in itself isn’t the problem.  Well, not the big problem…”

"Because they’re still mutating now," Martha said.

The Doctor nodded.  “He missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won’t let him stabilize. Something that’s trying to change him.”

"Change him into what?" she asked.

"I dunno," he said, pulling in a breath.  "But I think we need to find out."

"Lady Thaw said they were going upstairs," Rose said.

"Let’s go," the Doctor urged, ushering them both toward the door.

"So, what was it about what Rose did that makes her…situation so different?" Martha asked as they made their way to the lift.

"Well…her change was a byproduct of exposure to the Time Vortex," the Doctor explained after a quick glance at Rose and a nod from her.  "Basically, it hit the fast forward button on human evolution—well, what human evolution would look like had you lot evolved on my home planet."

"But then why didn’t she scan as human?" Martha asked, following them into the lift.  "The Judoon scanner said unknown species."

"Um…yeah," the Doctor said, looking down at her warily.  "Well, she’s new.  No data on her.  If someone scanned you, Martha, but their record of evolution only went as far as apes, you’d come up unknown too."

"Oh my god," Rose said, pointedly avoiding everyone’s gaze.

"Right," Martha said, blinking.  "Yeah.  Thanks for…clearing that up."

"You’re welcome," he said with a grin.  Then he stopped and noticed their reactions.  "Wait, that’s not…that’s not what I meant."

"No, it’s alright," Martha said as Rose shook her head.  "We’re just apes compared to your _amazing_ super-girlfriend.  That’s fine.”

"Oh…blimey," the Doctor said as they stepped out of the lift, watching as both girls exchanged a look and choked on fits of giggles.

“I’m really sorry, Martha,” Rose said, shaking her head at the Doctor.  “For someone so brilliant and charming, he is remarkably bad at phrasing things sometimes,” she added, and the Doctor merely frowned at her, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

Martha shook her head and made her way down the hall to the one spacious room on the level.

"This is his office, all right," she said as the Doctor turned on the lights.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"Dunno," Martha said.

"Doctor," Rose said hurriedly, pulling him over to the desk.  Martha looked closer and saw the reason for her distress: a pair of skeletal legs was showing from behind the desk wearing high heels.  She rushed over with them to see the remains of a woman that looked almost mummified.

"Is that Lady Thaw?" she asked, fighting the nausea that was overtaking her.

"It was," Rose said quietly as her and the Doctor bent over the corpse.

"Just a shell now," the Doctor said.  "Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Lazarus," Rose and Martha said together.

"Could be," the Doctor said, glancing at them.

"So he’s changed already," Martha said.

"Not necessarily," he said.  "You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again?" Rose asked, horrified.  She met the Doctor’s eyes and they sprang to their feet, all three bolting for the lift.  They jiggled impatiently as they made their way back down to the reception, moving quickly through the room as they scanned for Lazarus.

"I can’t see him," Martha said.

"He can’t be far," the Doctor said, striding ahead of her, touching Rose’s hand and pointing in one direction.  She nodded and moved in the other.  "Keep looking."

"Hey, you all right, Martha?" Leo asked, stopping her as the Doctor moved off in the direction he’d indicated.  "I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?" she asked quickly, still looking around.

"Yeah," Leo said, surprised at her urgency.  "He was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With Tish?" Martha cried as Rose and the Doctor approached again, as well as her mother.

"Ah, Doctor," Francine started, but was ignored by everyone.

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked quickly.

"Upstairs I think," Leo said, confused.  "Why?"

"Doctor—" Francine started again, but he was already brushing past her with Rose, spilling her drink as he did.  "I’m speaking to you!" she called after them.

"Not now, Mum!" Martha said, rushing after them.

Francine watched her daughter run after the Doctor and his little sidekick with trepidation as she wiped herself down with a napkin.  Martha could be so much, showed so much promise, out of all of them.  She’d never reach that high mark if she was distracted by the opposite sex now.  Just look at Leo, already tangled into something because of the baby.  And of all the men…this Doctor bloke was sure to break her heart, just like Martha’s father had broken hers.  He even came preloaded with a little blonde chav.  He would break her and leave her, and she’d never be able to fulfil her potential.

"I think you need one of these," a man’s voice spoke, and she looked up to see a handsome man in a tux holding out a fresh glass of champagne.

"Thank you," she said stiffly, taking the glass.  "That’s very kind of you."

"Do you know that man?" he asked, looking in the direction they’d run off.

"No," she said, frowning.  "He’s…a friend of my daughter’s."

"Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully," the man said before turning away.

Francine watched him walk away, then looked again in the direction her daughter had disappeared.  Now she was certain that this Doctor was dangerous for Martha, possibly in more ways than one.

oOoOo

They’d gone upstairs to find Lazarus’s office deserted, but the Doctor had used his sonic screwdriver to pick up the man’s fluctuating DNA’s energy signature, pointing them to the roof.  They’d torn up the steps, but the Doctor stopped them before reaching the open door, a finger on his lips as he signaled for quiet before creeping out onto the rooftop and standing tall behind Lazarus, the girls flanking him.

"I find that nothing’s ever exactly like you expect," Lazarus was saying to Tish.  "There’s always something to surprise you. ‘Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act—‘"

“‘Falls the shadow’,” the Doctor quoted softly, announcing their presence.

Lazarus turned to them, surprised but quick to compose himself.  “So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I’m impressed.”

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish whispered tersely.

"Tish, get away from him," Martha urged.

"What?" Tish asked.  "Don’t tell me what to do."

"I wouldn’t have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus," the Doctor drawled.  "What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You’re right, Doctor," Lazarus said.  "One lifetime’s been too short for me to do everything I’d like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"Doesn’t work like that," the Doctor said.  "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that mattes; it’s the person."

"But if it’s the right person," Lazarus said.  "What a gift that would be."

"Or what a curse," the Doctor said.  "Look at what you’ve done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus asked arrogantly.

"Over here, Tish," Martha said again.

"You have to spoil everything, don’t you?" Tish snapped, stamping over to her.  "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

"Tish, he’s a monster!" Martha said, watching behind her as Lazarus spasmed, his head and arms thrown back uncomfortably.

"I know the age thing’s a bit freaky," Tish said, "but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones."

Growling started behind her, and she turned slowly to the see the grotesque monster that Lazarus had become; a strange, engorged creature, somewhere between a human skeleton and a scorpion.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing Rose’s waist and pushing her in front of him as the other two girls took off for the doors.  They ran through the doors and down the stairs, the Doctor stopping briefly to lock the door with the sonic.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked Tish as Rose called up the lift.

"I was gonna snog him," Tish said.

They heard banging above them, then the lights went out as the PA system announced a security breach.

"What’s happening?" Rose asked, looking around hurriedly.

"Uh, an intrusion," Tish stammered.  "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor said, glancing back up the stairs.

"The stairs," Rose said curtly, and all four ran down them.

"He’s inside!" Martha yelled as the door crashed open above them.

"Haven’t got much time!" the Doctor yelled back, not even slowing down.  "Tish! Is there another way out of here?" he asked as they burst into the reception room.

"There’s an exit in the corner," Tish said, pointing.  "But it’ll be locked now."

"Rose, setting 54," he said, tossing his sonic screwdriver to her.  "Hurry."

Rose rushed to the doors with Martha and Tish as the Doctor jumped on the platform in front of the machine.

"Listen to me!" the Doctor called as she set to work on the doors.  "You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don’t be ridiculous," she heard someone scoff.  "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

"God, there’s always one," Rose said in irritation, the doors opening as glass shattered.  She looked up to see Lazarus appear on the landing above before jumping down to the reception floor.

"Over here!" she called as people started sprinting for any available exit.  "This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"

She heard the Doctor shouting again as she ushered people through the door, and looked up to see Lazarus bearing down on a woman who was frozen to the spot.  She winced, looking away briefly.  When she chanced another glance, it was too late…the woman’s husk was falling to the ground.  She exchanged a glance with the Doctor before Martha murmured her brother’s name, scurrying through the room to where Francine and Leo were huddled on the floor as Lazarus rounded on them.

"Lazarus!" the Doctor shouted, distracting him and allowing Martha and Francine to pull Leo to his feet and steer him towards the door.  "Leave them alone!  What’s the point if you can’t control it? The mutation’s too strong. Killing those people won’t help you. You’re a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn’t she? You’re a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

With that, he took off from the hall, Lazarus scuttling after him with astonishing speed.

"What’s the Doctor doing?" Tish asked as Martha examined Leo.

"He’s trying to buy us some time," Rose said, biting her lip.  "Let’s not waste it.  Martha, is he alright?"

"He’s got concussion," Martha said, putting some ice into a napkin and pressing it to her brother’s head.  "We’ll need to help him downstairs."

"Right, okay, let’s go," she said, ushering the Jones family away toward the stairs.  "C’mon, I’m right behind you."

They made it down the stairs without further incident, but found the rest of the partygoers gathered around the main entrance, pushing and jostling each other as they fought against the locked doors in their panic.

"We can’t get out!" Tish cried.  "We’re trapped!"

"Sonic screwdriver," Rose murmured, tossing it in the air as she scanned the entrance hall.  "Very good at opening doors."

She found what she was looking for; she darted over to the security desk, hopping up and sliding over it to the machinery at the back.  She ran the sonic over it, hoping that she wouldn’t have to change the setting to trip the override that was sure to exist.  She smiled when the lights came back on, the power unlocking the doors and allowing the guests to pour through.  She hopped back over the desk and approached the Jones family, still standing just inside the doors.

"Everyone alright?" she asked Martha quickly, looking over the group.

"Think so, yeah," Martha said.

"Right…nice meeting you all," she said with a cheery smile before turning back for the stairs.

"You’re going back?" Martha asked.

"Of course," Rose said, turning back.  "Told you…all or nothing.  That’s how we do it."  She paused, looking her up and down.  "I’ll see you soon, Martha Jones."  With that, she turned, running back up the stairs.

Martha watched her for a moment before turning to her family.  This might be her last chance at saving the day with the Doctor and Rose.  She couldn’t just leave.

"I’ve got to go back," she said quickly, already backing away.

"You can’t!" Francine cried out.  "You saw what that thing did. It’ll kill you."

"I don’t care," Martha said with more confidence than she felt.  "I have to go."

"It’s that Doctor, isn’t it?" Francine asked in fear and irritation.  "That’s what’s happened to you. That’s why you’ve changed."

"He was buying us time, Martha," Tish said.  "Time for you to get out, too."

"Didn’t stop Rose," Martha pointed out, but without the spirit of competition she felt a few days ago.  "I’m not…I’m not leaving them behind."

She turned and ran back up the stairs, but stopped short when she saw Rose leaning against a post at the top of the steps.

"Knew I’d see you soon," Rose said with a bright smile that Martha couldn’t help returning.  "C’mon!"

oOoOo

The Doctor made his way through the lab, turning gas jets on.  Fill up the room, turn on the light, make a spark and…yeah, Rose might have a point about his love of pyrotechnics.

"More hide-and-seek, Doctor?" Lazarus called as he crashed through the door, and the Doctor ducked.  "How disappointing. Why don’t you come out and face me?"

He stayed silent until he made it to the back of the lab, flicking on the last gas jets.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" he called back before standing.  "Why would I wanna face that, hmm?"

He turned and ran from the room, slamming the light switch on the way out and diving forward at the resulting explosion behind him.  He scrambled back to his feet and hurtled down the hall again, only to catch Rose as she nearly blew past him around the corner.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked is astonishment, catching sight of Martha right behind her.

"Returning this," Rose said with a grin as she held out the sonic screwdriver.  "You’re useless without it."

"How did you—?" he started as he pocketed it.

"I heard the explosion," she said with a shake of her head. "You and pyrotechnics."

"I blasted Lazarus," he said.

"Did you kill him?" Martha asked—just as the monster crashed into the hall.

"More sort of annoyed him, I’d say," the Doctor said, pushing both girls in front of him as they sprinted back down the corridor.

They tore through the corridors only to end up once again in the reception hall.  The Doctor looked around hurriedly for a viable option to stop Lazarus.

"What now?" Martha asked.  "We’ve just gone round in a circle!"

"We can’t lead him outside," the Doctor said, then turned to the device.  "Come on, get in."

The girls jumped into the cabinet of the device, and he hopped in after them as Lazarus came around the corner.  He squeezed between them so that his back was to the back of the cabinet, with Rose pressed…quite closely to his front, Martha to their side.

This…would be tricky.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.

"No, he knows we’re here," the Doctor said.  "But this is his masterpiece. I’m betting he won’t destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we’re trapped!" she said.

"Well, yeah, that’s a slight problem," the Doctor admitted.

"You mean you don’t have a plan?" Martha asked incredulously.

"He sort of makes it up as he goes along," Rose told her.  "He’s really good at it…usually," she added looking up at him.

"In your own time, then," Martha snapped.

The Doctor squirmed and attempted to retrieve the sonic from his jacket, but somehow misjudged…something, and ended up with a hand down the top of Rose’s dress.  He pulled his hand back hurriedly as she arched an eyebrow at him, raising her own hands to retrieve the sonic for him.

"Ta," he said with a cough, and she nodded with a smirk.

"What’re you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

"Improvise," he said with a grin before attempting to slide down to the floor—with the incredibly distracting result of sliding down Rose.  He fought for balance in his crouched position once he made it, grabbing onto a leg for support and thanking whoever was looking down on him that it was Rose’s.

"Priorities, Doctor," Rose said, looking down at him.  He looked up with a smirk before nudging her ankle to the side to pull up the panel beneath her feet.

"I still don’t understand where that thing came from," Martha said.  "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it’s strictly human in origin," the Doctor said while he worked on the panel with the sonic screwdriver.

"Human?" she asked.  "How can it be human?"

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus’s DNA," he said.  "The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they’re becoming dominant."

"So it’s a throwback," Rose said.

"Some option that evolution rejected for humans millions of years ago, but the potential is still there," he said.  "Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It’s like Pandora’s box," Martha said.

"Exactly," he said.  "Nice shoes, by the way, girls."

Suddenly, the cabinet shuddered, and a blue light filled it.

"Doctor, what’s happening?" Martha asked fearfully.

"Sounds like he’s switched the machine on," Rose said.

"That’s not good, is it?" the other girl asked.

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor said.

"Yeah, I don’t want to hurry you, but—"

"I know, I know," he said, cutting Rose off.  "Nearly done."

"What’re you doing?" Rose asked curiously, looking down.

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it," he explained hurriedly.

"Will that kill him?" she asked.

"When he transforms, he’s three times his size," he said.  "Cellular triplication—so he’s spreading himself thin."

"We’re gonna end up like him!" Martha cried, but he heard Rose shush her gently.

"Just one more," he assured her.

He pulled a last wire, and the light changed, as well as the movement.  They heard a boom and a crash outside the cabinet, and then everything stopped.  Rose held her hands down, helping the Doctor back to his feet, and he squeezed between them again to get to the door.  He stepped out, holding the door for the girls.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha said.

"Really shouldn’t take that long just to reverse the polarity," the Doctor said peevishly.  "I must be a bit out of practice."

"You must be getting old," Rose said, shaking her head and smiling up at him.

"That too," he said, giving her a small smile before walking forward to where Lazarus’s body lay, now human looking again.

"Oh God," Martha said.  "He seems so…human again. It’s kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too," the Doctor said, putting an arm around Rose’s shoulders.  “‘This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper’."

He looked down on both of them sadly, pressing a kiss to Rose’s hair as she leaned her head against his shoulder.


	19. The Lazarus Experiment (part 3)

Someone called medical services, and the trio followed the stretcher out, their mood subdued.  The Doctor tugged at his bow tie, popping the top button on his collar wearily as they walked down the steps.

"She’s here," they heard Tish call before running forward to hug Martha.  "Oh, she’s all right."

"Ah, Mrs Jones," the Doctor said, pasting on a cheerful smile as the rest of Martha’s family approached.  "We still haven’t finished our chat."

Francine stepped forward purposefully and slapped the Doctor across the face, sending him reeling back into Rose.

"Keep away from my daughter," Francine hissed.

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha cried, shocked.

"Always the mothers," he muttered, rubbing his cheek.  "Every time."

"He is dangerous!" Francine said.  "I’ve been told things."

"What are you talking about?" Martha demanded.

"Look around you!" Francine said, gesturing wide.  "Nothing but death and destruction!"

"And how is any of that his fault?" Rose asked, angry now.  "Do you have _any_ idea how many _more_ deaths there would be if it wasn’t for him?  Do you know how _you_ would have survived if it wasn’t for him?”

"Rose," the Doctor said softly, trying to tug her away before the situation got worse.

"And what’s your part in all this, exactly?" Francine spat at her.

"Stop it, Mum!" Martha cried.  "She’s his…girlfriend, and they’re my friends, and they saved us.  All of us.  So just stop it!"

Before anyone could say anything else, there was crash further up the street.  The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look, then both glanced at Martha before taking off in the direction of the sound.  Martha moved to follow, but Francine grabbed her arm.

"Leave him," she implored her daughter.  "He’s already got someone."

Martha looked at her for a moment.  Yeah, he had someone.  It would always be the Doctor and Rose.  But that didn’t mean they didn’t need a friend to help them too.  She slowly shook her head, taking off after her friends.

She caught up with them just as they reached the ambulance, surprised to find that Tish had followed as well.  She gasped when she saw the remains of the EMTs in the ambulance.

"Lazarus, back from the dead," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver.  "Should’ve known, really."

"Where’s he gone?" Martha asked as he began scanning the area.

"That way," he said after a moment, looking up at the gothic cathedral.  "The church."

"Cathedral," Tish corrected automatically, and the other three looked at her.  "It’s Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

The Doctor nodded, and led the group into the church, the sonic screwdriver held aloft in front of him.  Rose was at his shoulder, looking around the dark interior nervously.  She didn’t like this at all.  Lazarus had already survived one risky maneuver…what were they going to be able to pull in a church?

"Why here?" she whispered.  "Why come here, of all the places to hide out?"

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor asked without glancing at her.

He kept moving through the cathedral to the empty space behind the altar.  They found Lazarus sitting there with a blanket from the ambulance wrapped around him, his labored breaths coming in gasps.

"I came here before," he said as the Doctor walked toward, circling around him slowly.  "A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," the Doctor realized, pausing in front of him.

"You’ve read about it," Lazarus said.

"We were there," he said softly, glancing at Rose.  She saw Martha and Tish start in surprise beside her, but kept her eyes focused on the two men.

"You’re too young," Lazarus scoffed.

"So are you," the Doctor said.

Lazarus laughed briefly, but then gasped as his bones started popping and cracking, the mutation once again trying to take hold.

"In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive," he gasped out after a moment as the Doctor continued pacing around him, scanning the room and vaulted ceiling.  "I swore I’d never face death like that again."  Rose saw the Doctor glance upwards again, and she followed his gaze to the bell tower, wondering what he was planning.  "So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That’s what you were trying to do today," the Doctor said.

"That’s what I _did_ today,” Lazarus insisted angrily.

"What about the other people who died?" the Doctor asked hotly.

"They were nothing," Lazarus spat.  "I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done, too," the Doctor said, his anger growing as he stopped in front of Lazarus again.  "You think history’s only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can’t change that."

"No, Doctor," Lazarus said as the Doctor began walking the other way, back toward girls.  "Avoiding death. That’s being human. It’s our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I’m doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I’ve simply been more…successful."

His words were punctuated by another groan as his body again tried to change.

"Look at yourself!" the Doctor shouted.  "You’re mutating! You’ve no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress," Lazarus said.  "I’m more now that I was. More than just an ordinary human."

The Doctor glanced at the Rose, then at the Jones sisters.  “There’s no such thing as an ordinary human.”

"He’s gonna change again at any minute," Rose whispered to him.

"I know," he whispered back.  "If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I’ve an idea that might work."

"Up there?" she asked, looking up and pointing, thinking quickly as he nodded.  She backed up to Martha, pointing to the door, then up to the bell tower.  The other girl nodded.

"You’re so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus said.  "Maybe you are older than you look."

"I’m old enough to know that a longer life isn’t always a better one," the Doctor said sadly, walking around him again, and Rose thought she saw his eyes flit to her once or twice as he continued talking.  "In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust."  He crouched down beside Lazarus. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That’s a price worth paying," Lazarus croaked out.

"Is it?" the Doctor asked, just before Lazarus started groaning again, his bones cracking worse than ever.

"I will feed soon," Lazarus warned him.

"I’m not gonna let that happen," the Doctor said calmly.

"You’ve not been able to stop me so far," Lazarus said with a sneer.

"Leave him, Lazarus!" Martha shouted suddenly, stepping around Rose, who looked at her in shock.  "He’s old and bitter. Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Martha, no!" the Doctor shouted.

Lazarus snarled and leapt for her, and all three girls took off for the door.

"What were you thinking?" Rose demanded as they ran.

"It got him moving, didn’t it?" Martha shot back, and Rose shook her head.

"Doctor!" she shouted back to him as they reached the door.  "The tower!"

The three girls sped up the narrow spiral staircase that led to the upper level.  As they ran, they heard a groan, a scream, and the sound of crunching bones on the stairs below them.

"Did you hear that?" Tish asked.

"He’s changed again," Martha said.

"Come on," Rose urged, tearing her eyes away from the space behind them.  "We’ve got to lead him up."

As they reached the upper level, Rose heard the Doctor yelling her name from below.

"Doctor!" she called back, leaning out of one of the archways on the upper level, and she saw him spin around to face her.

"Take him to the top," he shouted.  "The very top of the bell tower, d’you hear me?"

"Up to the top!" she confirmed, wondering what it was exactly that he was planning as she ducked back out of the archway.  As she did, she saw Lazarus making his way along the passage.  "Come on!" she yelled to the other two, sprinting away.

They made it to the end of the passage, and climbed another rickety staircase to the top of the bell tower, running to the opposite side of the circular wooden walkway.

"There’s nowhere to go!" Tish cried.  "We’re trapped!"

"The Doctor has a plan," Rose assured her, hoping to god that it was a good one.  "This is where he said to bring him."

"All right, so we’re not trapped," Tish said.  "We’re bait."

"He knows what he’s doing," Martha said confidently, and Rose couldn’t help beaming at her. "We have to trust him."

"Ladies," they heard Lazarus hiss from the hall, and Rose focused on the entrance again.

"Right," Rose said, her eyes trained on Lazarus as he entered the room.  "You two, stay back.  If I can distract him, make a run for it."

"We can’t just leave you up here," Martha said quickly, and Rose glanced at her briefly in annoyance, wondering if this was how the Doctor felt when she argued with him.

"I’ll be fine, just do it," she hissed.  "Oi!  Ugly!"

She moved quickly, trying to lure him away from the door so the other girls could get out, but he was faster: he attacked, swinging his scorpion tail down, barely missing her when she ducked, but knocking out the railing in front of her.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," she muttered as she heard the organ start below them, and ducked again, only to be smacked across the shoulders as he swept back around while she straightened, knocking her off the platform.  She caught the edge as she heard Martha scream her name.

"Get away from her!" the other girl yelled furiously at Lazarus.  "Rose, hold on!"

Suddenly, the sound of the organ increased exponentially, shaking the woodwork and making them all cry out in pain as it reverberated through the space.  Rose clung to the shuddering platform with all her might, even while it felt like her head would explode in agony.  It was only a few seconds before Lazarus roared and fell, plummeting from the bell tower to the cathedral floor far below.  The organ stopped—and Rose’s grip slipped.

"I’ve got you," Martha said, grabbing hold of her arm, and her heart started beating again as she looked up gratefully.  "Hold on."

"Rose?" the Doctor called from below.  "Martha?"

Tish joined Martha, the two sisters hauling Rose back on to the platform.

"ROSE!" the Doctor called again with an edge of fear.

"I’m okay!" she called back hurriedly.  "We’re both okay!"  She turned, throwing her arms around Martha.  "Thanks," she whispered, then raised her eyes to Tish.  "You too.  Thank you."

"It’s your Doctor you should be thanking," Tish said with a nervous chuckle.

"Told you he’d think of something," Martha said happily.

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn’t he?" Tish asked.

"He always does," Rose said with a smile.  "It’s more fun that way."

"Who are you two?" Tish asked her.

"We’re—“ she started, then floundered.

"They’re the Doctor and Rose Tyler," Martha said, grinning at her.

"Yep," she said, smiling back.  "Sums us up nicely.  C’mon, before he tears the place down completely."

They made their way back down to the cathedral floor, Rose running the last few steps to the Doctor, who immediately took her in his arms, spinning her around before kissing her soundly.  After a moment, he broke away, releasing her and hugging a very surprised Martha Jones.

"You two…are brilliant," he said, grinning as they embraced.

"I didn’t know you could play," Martha commented as he stepped back, his arm winding around Rose’s lower back again.

"Oh, well, you know," he said. "If you hang around with Beethoven, you’re bound to pick a few things up."

"Especially about playing loud," Rose said.

"Sorry?" he asked, leaning toward her and putting a hand behind his ear, grinning widely as she rolled her eyes and Martha laughed.

oOoOo

The Doctor made a beeline for the TARDIS when they got back to Martha’s flat, unlocking the door quickly before turning back to Martha.

"Something else that just kind of escalated, then," he said, tugging Rose to his side.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha said with a grin, leaning on the wall of the TARDIS.  "You should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourself in."

"It’s been fun, though, hasn’t it?" he asked with a grin of his own.

"Yeah," she agreed, laughing.  She looked between them and sobered for a moment.  "Sorry about Mum.  She’s just…ah, she’s a bit prone to snap judgements, and a bit stubborn about letting them go."  She noticed the Doctor roll his eyes up to the ceiling, his lips twitching, and her jaw dropped.  "Oh my god…I’m my mum.  Oh…that’s just…not alright."

"Well, you haven’t slapped either of us," Rose said with a smile.  "And your mum’s not so bad…she was just trying to protect you.  Though, if she ever slaps the Doctor again…"

"The good news is, you don’t _have_ to be like that,” the Doctor said.  “Nor should you.  Don’t be Francine Jones.  The world’s already got one of them.  Be Martha Jones.”

"What do you want, Martha?" Rose asked suddenly.  "Apart from what your family needs or wants from you, what do you want?"

"I dunno," Martha said honestly.  "I mean, I want to be a doctor, I know that.  I want to help people.  A few days ago, if anyone had asked me that, I’d say I already had everything.  But out there…"

Rose nodded, and looked up at the Doctor.  He looked down at her for a long moment before turning back to Martha curiously.

"I don’t suppose…before you got back to the grind of your studies," he said slowly, "you’d care to travel for a while?"

"What, like…not just a passenger?" she asked, looking between them quickly.  "Actually part of the…team, or crew, or whatever?"

"Sure," Rose said.  "Like you said, Doctor…we’ve been on our own for a while.  It’d be nice to have someone else around."

"Oh…oh, thank you!" she cried happily, hugging first the Doctor, then Rose.

"Well, you never really were just a passenger, were you?" the Doctor asked, holding the door open for both girls.

Martha grinned as she watched the Doctor and Rose banter while he maneuvered the ship back into the Vortex.  She might never have had a chance with the Doctor, but at least she had a chance to live a life for herself, helping people all across the universe, with friends who thought she was brilliant and seemed to enjoy her company rather than need it for something—which, she quickly realized, was probably better anyway.

“So, Martha Jones,” the Doctor said suddenly, breaking into her thoughts as he turned to her with a grin.  “Tell me…where do you want to go first?”


	20. The Other Edge

_"I’m old enough to know that a longer life isn’t always a better one.  In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust.  If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."_

_"That’s a price worth paying."_

_"Is it?"_

The Doctor sat alone in the kitchen and stewed over a cup of tea.  Both girls were still sleeping, so it was the perfect time to brood about the things that he couldn’t explain to them.  Martha wouldn’t understand, and Rose would be hurt.  He didn’t want to deal with either of those eventualities, so he waited until they succumbed to their need for sleep to pick at these fresh wounds.

The words he’d said to Lazarus spilled back through his mind again.  He’d spoken the absolute truth to the man who’d mangled himself in the effort to live a longer life.  What he hadn’t counted on was the realization that, while he had come to terms—more or less—with the curse of his own longevity…he wasn’t sure he was completely alright with the fact that Rose was now doomed to the same fate.  While he was now able to spend the rest of his life with her, provided she stayed…she now had to watch everything fall to dust around her, with only him left.  Nearly everyone she would meet from now on, no matter how much she loved them, she would have to lose them.  Because of him.  To be totally happy about that seemed…incredibly selfish.

Not only that, but the cause of her prolonged existence, her strange neo-human DNA, had caused her problems more than once.  Just since he’d found out about all of it, she’d twice been in dangerous spots that would have been avoided had she still been human.  The Empress would not have been able to cause her pain, and she would have had nothing to fear from the Judoon.  He could have kissed her and avoided the whole mess with Martha.  But…then again…were she still in a place where she could be human…she probably wouldn’t have been there at all.  Because he’d changed her.  He hadn’t forced the Vortex into her, but if he had never met her, she would still be Rose Tyler, shop girl from the Powell Estates…maybe not extraordinary, but completely human, and probably far happier for it.  She’d still have her mum, she’d still have Mickey and all the other friends and family that thought she was dead now.

He had no idea what, if anything, to do about any of this knowledge however.  Feeling guilty wasn’t new…he’d been living with that long enough that a little more piled on wasn’t going to change a whole lot.  But he hated the idea that someday, all of this would occur to Rose as well, and she’d end up resenting him for turning her life into battlefield littered with fallen friends and fearsome foes that she should never have had to deal with.

Just one more reason to wonder if simply living long enough was going to be enough to keep her by his side.

“Well, someone’s looking chipper this morning,” came a voice from the doorway, breaking into his disparaging thoughts.

He took a deep breath as he looked up, attempting to school his features into something more presentable.

“Martha Jones,” he said with a smile.  “How’re we feeling today?”

“That depends…is there still tea?” she asked skeptically.

“There is.”

“Then wonderful,” she said with a bright smile, making her way over to the kettle and fixing herself a cup before joining him at the table.  “Girlfriend still asleep?”

“Yes,” he growled.  “And I _really_ wish you wouldn’t call her that.”

“What am I supposed to call her?” Martha asked.  “And why do you have such issue with labels anyway?  Still having trouble owning up to it?”

“Not at all,” he said easily, taking another sip.  “But nine hundred year old Time Lords do _not_ have ‘girlfriends’.  So I’d suggest…calling her Rose.  That seems to work, most of the time.”

“Hold on, you’re nine hundred years old?” Martha asked, having nearly spit out her tea.

“Nine hundred and two,” he clarified.

“And Rose is how old?”

“Twenty-one…ish.”

“So you’re…hold on…over forty _times_ older than her?” she asked, and he nodded with a smirk.  “God, I am just never going to understand you two.”

“Word of advice, Martha,” he said.  “Stop trying.  I don’t even understand us half of the time, and I understand nearly everything.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said as the sound of a wolf howling reverberated through the corridors.  “What the hell was _that_?” she asked, looking around.

“Oh…you’ve never been awake before her, have you?” the Doctor asked with a smile as he got up to fix another cup of tea.  “Little joke.  Also, a warning…it doesn’t matter if Rose needs two hours of sleep a night or ten, she will never, ever be a morning person.”

He held out the cup as he said this, and, on cue, Rose came staggering into the kitchen, took the cup from him, and sat down with a plop on one of the chairs around the table.

“I hate you,” she said in a rough voice before sipping at her tea.

“Good morning to you, too,” he said happily, kissing the top of her head before sitting down again.  “Anyway, it’s the TARDIS, not me.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that,” she grumbled.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Martha said with a laugh.  “Really not a morning person.”

“Give her a chance to finish her cup of tea,” the Doctor said.  “She’ll be fine.”

Martha nodded.  “So what had you in such a foul mood when I walked in?”

“What?  Oh, nothing,” he said quickly when Rose looked at him suspiciously.  “I was just…concentrating on some modifications I plan to do later on the TARDIS.  In that vein…I was thinking we could go to Stravogaraza today.  Supposedly, it’s the biggest shopping center in the universe…if you can’t find something there, it doesn’t exist.  I have some parts to pick up, and I dare say you two could find some way to amuse yourselves,” he added with a smirk at their growing smiles.

oOoOo

They spent the day wandering around the planet sized shopping center (minus the parking continent), Martha and Rose tugging the Doctor around to explain various alien items they found, much to his apparent amusement.  The tables were turned when they entered the hardware section and the Doctor’s demeanor quickly changed to that of a six year old who’d had too much cake.  He bounced around the different sections, oohing and ahing over various gizmos, gadgets, and spare parts.  Rose made an attempt to rein him in by asking if he actually needed all the items he’d thrown into the cart for the TARDIS, but he gave her a petulant look and told her that every single thing he’d picked up was necessary for _something_ …or, at least, that it would be.  She rolled her eyes and gave up after that.

The Doctor treated them to dinner out after hours of shopping.  Martha wasn’t sure she wanted to ask where he’d gotten the money for all the things he’d paid for that day, but was having entirely too much fun to comment.  Any residual awkwardness following her first few days with the couple had officially been buried after this outing, and dinner turned into a loud affair as wine was had and the Doctor had the girls in stitches with various stories of odd encounters, including the most peaceful revolution ever: apparently, the “despot king” didn’t really want to be king, but a pig farmer, so he gladly relinquished the throne to the pacifist revolutionaries who didn’t so much storm the castle as hesitantly shuffle while apologizing for the inconvenience.

When they finally made it back to the TARDIS, the girls immediately went to their rooms to sort through their many purchases from the day.  Martha quickly realized that she’d forgotten a bag and made her way back to the console room to find the Doctor leaning against the console wearing the same pensive look she’d seen when she first encountered him this morning.

“Did you get the parts you were looking for?” she asked as she retrieved her forgotten parcel.

“Hmm?  What?” he asked, confused momentarily, then his face cleared.  “Oh, yes.  Everything I needed.  Did you have a good time?”

“Oh, the best,” she said sincerely, then studied him for a moment.  “It wasn’t parts you were thinking about, was it?” she asked quietly.

“Um…no, not entirely,” he said, turning and looking down at the console.

“Is it…do you not want me here?” she asked uncertainly.  It didn’t seem likely, after the last week or so, but people change their minds all the time.

“Oh, no…no no no,” he assure her quickly.  “Nothing like that.  I…I mean, Rose and I, we love having you here.”

She thought quickly.  “Something…with Rose, then?” she asked warily, not wanting him to think that it was still latent jealousy that made her ask.

“Um, no,” he said, looking down again.  “No…it’s…something with me.  Don’t worry about it.”

“Is it—“

“Honestly, Martha, I’m fine,” he insisted, looking back up at her.

“Alright…well…if you ever want to…you know, talk,” she said, relenting, “you know where to find me.”

“Yeah,” he said quickly, studying a monitor.

“Okay,” she said.  “Oh, and Doctor?  Thanks for today.  It really was brilliant.”

“It was my pleasure, Martha Jones,” he said with a smile, turning to her again.

She watched uncertainly him for another moment.  “You sure you’re alright?”

“I’m always alright.”


	21. Daleks in Manhattan (part 1)

"So, ladies, where do you want to go?" the Doctor asked, wandering around the console and flicking controls at random.

"What, no suggestions from the Time Lord today?" Martha teased.

"Nah, figure this one’s up to you," he said, turning and leaning against the console to face the two girls on the jump seat.  "So what do you think?  Backwards?  Forwards?  Different planet?  Home planet?  What?"

"Hmmm…backwards," Rose suggested.  "Earth.  How about…sometime post-Great War?  The rest is up to you."

"That I can work with," he said with a grin, spinning around again and working the controls with purpose now.  The TARDIS landed after another moment, and he shrugged into his long coat as the girls darted for the door.

"Where are we?" Martha asked as they stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze," the Doctor said, breathing deeply as he joined them.  "Nice and cold.  Lovely.  Ladies, have you met my friend?" he added, turning and looking up.  They both followed his gaze to look up at the figure of the Statue of Liberty.

"Is that—?" Martha asked, stunned.  "Oh my God!  That’s the Statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor said with a grin as he took Rose’s hand.  “‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free…’"

"That’s so brilliant," Martha said.  "I’ve always wanted to go to New York.  I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new, new…"

"Well, there’s the genuine article," the Doctor said, strolling to the edge of the island to look across the bay.  "So good, they named it twice.  Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally.  Harder to say twice.  Now wonder it didn’t catch on.  New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"We came here for New Year’s," Rose told Martha.  "We were here for the very first Times Square ball drop."

"And then for the unveiling of the second version of the ball in 1920," the Doctor added with a grin.

"You did New Year’s twice?" Martha asked with a laugh.

"Miracle of a time machine," the Doctor said happily, pulling Rose close while she giggled.

"I wonder what year it is now," she said.  "‘Cause look, the Empire State Building’s not even finished yet."

"Work in progress," the Doctor said, looking at the construction.  "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around—"

"November 1, 1930," Martha said behind them.

"You’re getting good at this," the Doctor said, turning in surprise.

"Eighty years ago," she said as the Doctor took the paper from her.  He looked at it with a frown, showing it to Rose as Martha continued.  "It’s funny ‘cause you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it’s so far away, but here we are.  It’s real.  It’s now. Come on, then you two.  Where do we go first?"

"Well, this might be one place to start," the Doctor said, showing her the headline he and Rose had been examining.

“‘Hooverville Mystery Deepens’,” she read.  “What’s Hooverville?”

oOoOo

"Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago," the Doctor said in full lecture mode as they strolled through Central Park.  "Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then…"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha asked.  "When was that, 1929?"

"Yeah," he said.  "Whole economy wiped out overnight.  Thousands of people unemployed.  Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go.  So they ended up here in Central Park."

"Living in the park?" Rose asked, glancing around as he looked down at her, brows raised.  "Seriously?  And no one’s helping them?"

"Nothing for them to do," the Doctor said as they approached Hooverville, with its sprawling collection of lean-tos, shacks, and tents.  Paths were tramped down between them, giving the "town" some sense of order in the chaos.  "Thousands of people, ordinary people, unemployed and looking for jobs that don’t exist.  Couldn’t pay the rent and they lost everything.  There are places like this all over America.  You only come to Hooverville when there’s nowhere else to go."

As they wandered further, they heard the sound of a fight breaking out somewhere.  They followed the sound just as a man came out of a tent, yelling at two younger men who were throwing blows. 

"Cut that out!" the older man yelled, moving between them and pushing them apart.  "Right now!"

"He stole my bread!" shouted one of them.

"That’s enough!" the older man ordered before turning to look at the second man.  "Did you take it?"

"I don’t know what happened," the accused said defensively.  "He just went crazy."

The first man lunged again but was held back.

"That’s enough!" the older man said again, turning back to the second man.  "Now think real careful before you lie to me."

"I’m starvin’, Solomon," he said desperately.

The older man, Solomon, sighed and held out his hand.  The thief reached into his coat, pulling out a loaf of bread and handing it to him.

"We’re all starvin’," he said, breaking the loaf in half and giving each man a piece.  "We all got families somewhere.  No stealin’ and no fightin’," he ordered, pointing a finger to each man in turn.  "You know the rules.  Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War.  A lot of us did.  And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together!  No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings.  It’s all we got."

"Come on," the Doctor said quietly, nudging Martha’s shoulder and pulling Rose with him as he approached Solomon.  "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

"And, uh, who might you be?" the other man asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"He’s the Doctor, I’m Rose, and this is Martha," Rose said, pointing to each of them in turn.

"A doctor," Solomon scoffed.  "Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you’re the first doctor.  Neighborhood gets classier by the day," he added, holding out his hands to warm them over a fire.

"How many people live here?" Martha asked, looking around.

"At any one time, hundreds," Solomon said.  "No place else to go.  But I will say this about Hooverville.  We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same.  All starving.  So you’re welcome, all three of you."  He stopped, giving the Doctor an appraising look.  "But tell me, Doctor, you’re a man of learning, right?  Explain this to me."  He wandered off a little ways, and the trio followed to find him looking up at the Empire State building.  He pointed up to it.  "That there’s going to be the tallest building in the world.  How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

"I wish I had an answer for you," the Doctor said sadly.

"Yeah," Solomon said, shaking his head and walking away.  They gazed at the immense structure for another moment before the Doctor urged them away.

"So…men are going missing," he said when they caught up with Solomon again, holding up the newspaper.  "Is this true?"

Solomon took the paper and read it, shaking his head.  “It’s true all right,” he said before turning back into his tent.

"But what does missing mean?" the Doctor asked, standing against a post at the opening of the tent.  "Men must come and go here all the time.  It’s not like anyone’s keeping a register."

"C’mon in," Solomon said as he sat down.  "This is different."

"In what way?" Martha asked as they made their way inside and sat with him.

"Someone takes them," he said reluctantly.  "At night.  We hear something.  Someone calls out for help.  By the time we get there, they’re gone.  Like they vanish into thin air."

"What makes you think someone’s taking them?" Rose asked curiously.

"Listen…Rose, was it?" he asked, and she nodded.  "Rose, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got," he replied.  "Your knife, blanket, you take it with you.  You don’t leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, we tried that," Solomon said with a derisive snort.  "Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"So, the question is," the Doctor said slowly, "who’s taking them and what for?"

Before they could speculate any further, a young man popped his head into the tent.

"Solomon, Mr Diagoras is here," the kid said.  Solomon jumped up, and the other three exchanged a look before following swiftly.

"I need men," a man—Mr Diagoras, presumably—was saying, standing on a box to be seen and heard above the gathering crowd.  "Volunteers.  I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah, what is the money?" the young man asked suspiciously.

"A dollar a day," Diagoras said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation as the crowd grumbled.

"What’s the work?" Solomon asked.

"A little trip down the sewers," Diagoras said.  "Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing.  Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon asked with a sneer.  "That’s slave wage.  Men don’t always come back up, do they?"

"Accidents happen," Diagoras replied calmly.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked quickly, frowning.  "What sort of accidents?"

"You don’t need the work?  That’s fine.  Anybody else?" Diagoras asked, and the Doctor raised his hand.  "Enough with the questions," the man said impatiently.

"Oh…no," the Doctor said.  "I’m volunteering."

"I’ll kill you for this," Martha said as she and Rose raised their hands as well, making him chuckle.

Solomon and the young man, whose name they soon found out was Frank, also raised their hands.  With no other takers, Diagoras left, leading them into the sewers nearby.

"Turn left, go about half a mile," Diagoras instructed when they were down in the tunnel.  "Follow Tunnel 273.  Fall’s right ahead of you.  You can’t miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up," Diagoras told him.

"What if we don’t come back up?" Rose asked, eyeing him with distaste.

"Then I got no one to pay," Diagoras said nastily.

"We’ll be back," Solomon assured him.

"Let’s hope so," Martha said quietly.

The group moved to make their way down the tunnel, but Rose looked back to see the Doctor staring down Diagoras before moving after them.

"I don’t like this," she said softly as they caught up with the rest of the group, moving past Martha and Frank, who were talking quietly.  "He seemed a bit too nonchalant about the fact that we might not make it back."

"Mmm…yeah," the Doctor said, nodding.  "Do me a favor, stay close, and keep Martha with you."

"Same goes for you," she said, arching an eyebrow.  "God knows what you’d get into, wandering down here on your own."

"Yes ma’am," he said, lips twitching before he turned to Solomon.  "So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?"

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman," Solomon said with a shrug.  "Now it seems like he’s running most of Manhattan."

"How did he manage that, then?" the Doctor asked.

"These are strange times," Solomon said.  "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight.  It’s just for some folks it works the other way ‘round."

The Doctor wasn’t listening, his attention caught on something ahead of them.  He let out an exclamation as he shined his torch on the blob on the ground giving off a sickly green glow.

"What the hell is that?" Rose said, crouching with him near it as Martha came forward.

"It’s gone off, whatever it is," Martha said, pulling a face as she covered her mouth and nose.  The Doctor slipped on his specs and carefully picked up the blob.  "And you’ve got to pick it up," she added, rolling her eyes.

"Don’t you dare lick that," Rose warned as he brought it closer to his face.

"Course not," he said distractedly.  "Even my oral fixations only extend so far.  Shine your light through it?"  She leaned over, shining her torch underneath it and back up at him.  "Composite organic matter.  Martha?  Medical opinion?"

"It’s not human," Martha replied.  "I know that."

"No, it’s not," the Doctor said, examining it for another moment before looking up.  "And I’ll tell you something else.  We must be at least half a mile in and I don’t see any sign of a collapse, do you?"

"So why are we down here, then?" Rose asked, looking around.

"Where are we now?" Martha asked.  "What’s above us?"

"Well…we’re right underneath Manhattan," the Doctor said, standing and looking up.  He looked thoughtful for a moment, then shoved the jelly thing into his pocket as Martha and Rose exchanged horrified glances.  "C’mon."

They walked in silence for several more minutes before Rose stopped, bringing the rest to a halt with her.

"Rose, what is it?" the Doctor asked.

"We’ve been walking a _long_ time,” she said carefully.  “Far more than half a mile.”

"She’s right," Solomon said.  "We’re way beyond that, and there’s no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor said, looking around the dank tunnel again.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

"I don’t like this," Rose said quickly, scanning the area.  "This feels like a set-up."

The Doctor looked at her, weighing his decision.  “Don’t suppose you’d be willing to go back?”

"Not a chance," she said decisively.

The Doctor sighed.  “Solomon, I think it’s time you took these two back.  We’ll be much quicker on our own.”

"Hold on, why’s she get to stay?" Martha asked.

He shushed her quickly and held up a hand as a squealing noise echoed through the tunnels.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked in a hushed voice.

"Hello?" Frank yelled, and both girls hushed him.  "What if it’s one of the folk gone missing?  You’d be scared, half-mad down here on your own."

"Do you think they’re still alive?" the Doctor asked him.

"Heck, we ain’t seen no bodies down here," he said with a shrug.  "Maybe they just got lost."

They looked around again as they heard more squealing.  The Doctor took a few wary steps down one of the tunnels.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon muttered.

"Sounds like there’s more than one of ‘em," Frank said.

"This way," the Doctor said.

"No, that way," Solomon said, shining his light down another tunnel.

Rose shown her light down yet another tunnel and looked back at the Doctor, shaking her head and shrugging before Martha spotted something further down the tunnel they’d been heading down—a figure huddled on the ground.

"Doctor…" she called fearfully, looking back at him.

"Who are you?" Solomon asked.

"Are you lost?" Frank asked when it didn’t respond.  "Can you understand me?  I’ve been thinkin’ about folk lost…"

He started to walk toward the figure, but the Doctor stopped him quickly.

"It’s all right, Frank," he said.  "Just stay back.  Let me have a look."  He squeezed Rose’s wrist to tell her to stay for the moment as well and walked toward the figure.  "He’s got a point, though, my mate Frank.  I’d hate to be stuck down here on my own.  We know the way out.  Daylight.  If you want to come with us."  He stopped in front of the figure, crouching down to look at it.  "Oh, but what are you?" he asked, shining his light in the face of what looked like a pig.

"Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked nervously.

"No, it’s real.  I’m sorry," he said genuinely to the pig man.  "Now listen to me.  I promise I can help.  Now, who did this to you?"

Shadows began to crawl further along the tunnel, and more pig men came around the corner.

"Doctor, you might want to come back," Rose called, eyeing them warily.

"Actually…good point," he said, standing and backing slowly towards them as the pig men advanced.

"They’re following you," Martha said.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks," he said quickly.  "Well then, Martha, Frank, Solomon, Rose…"

"What?" Martha asked, staring in horror.

"I think…um, basically…run!" he shouted, and all five of them sped off down the tunnels.

"Where are we going?" Martha shouted, confused, as she stopped at a cross-section.

"This way!" the Doctor yelled, racing past her.

They ran for several more yards, the pig men hot on their tails, when Rose stopped at the mouth of an adjoining tunnel and called for the Doctor.  He sped back to her as she ran in.

"There’s a ladder!" he called to the others before running after Rose and leaping up the ladder to open the lid with the sonic screwdriver.  Rose climbed up after him, Martha following quickly.  Solomon met them up top after another moment, and he and the Doctor both put a hand down into the manhole to help Frank…but the pig men got to him first.  They were all shouting, and then Solomon shoved the Doctor aside and closed the lid before anyone else could climb up.

"We can’t go after him," Solomon said.

"We gotta go back down!" the Doctor shouted, lurching for the cover.

"We can’t just leave him down there!" Rose cried, while Martha jumped and cowered behind her, looking near tears.

Solomon shoved the Doctor aside once again.  “No, I’m not losing anybody else!  Those creatures were from Hell!  From Hell itself!  If we go after them, they’ll take us all!  There’s nothing we can do.  I’m sorry.”

"All right then," another voice said suddenly.  "Put ‘em up."


	22. Daleks in Manhattan (part 2)

Martha’s eyes got wide and she put her hands in the air as the other three turned slowly to see a blonde woman aiming a gun at them.  When they continued to stare at her, she cocked the gun pointedly.

"Hands in the air," she said.  "And no funny business."

They slowly put their hands up, the Doctor edging over slightly to put himself between the gun and Rose.

"Now tell me, you schmucks," she continued.  "What’ve you done with Lazlo?"

"Who…who’s Lazlo?" Martha asked, confused.

The woman watched them for a moment, then gestured to have them follow her out of the room.

"C’mon over to my dressing room," she said.  "Dunno if I wanna talk in here like this."

The woman walked backwards out of the room, keeping them in sight as she made her way out of the room and across the corridor to her dressing room.  Once there, she slumped in the seat in front of the vanity.

"Lazlo’s my boyfriend," she told them.  "Or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago.  No letter, no good-bye, no nothin’.  And I’m not stupid."  She began to gesture vaguely with the gun as she talked, making the Doctor, who was standing closest to her, lean back in concern.  "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo.  I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"It might…might just help if you put that down," the Doctor suggested cautiously.

"Huh?" she asked, looking at him blankly for a moment before seeming to see the gun for the first time.  "Oh, sure," she said, tossing it into a chair and making him jump back into the girls behind him.  "Oh, c’mon.  It’s not real.  It’s just a prop.  It was either that or a spear."

"Again with the fake guns," Rose muttered, and his lips twitched as Martha came forward.

"What do you think happened to Lazlo?" she asked.

"I wish I knew," the woman said.  "One minute he’s there, the next, zip—vanished."

"Listen, ah—what’s your name?" the Doctor asked, stepping closer to her.

"Tallulah," she said.

"Tallulah—“

"Three Ls and an H," she clarified.

He stared at her blankly for a beat, then shook himself.  “Right.  Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he’s not the only one.  There are people disappearing every night.”

"And there are creatures," Solomon said in a rough voice.  "Such creatures."

"Whaddaya mean ‘creatures’?" Tallulah asked, looking past the Doctor to Solomon.

"Look…listen, just trust me," the Doctor said.  "Everyone is in danger.  I need to find out exactly what this is—“ He took the slimy mess from his pocket.  "—because then I’ll know exactly what we’re fighting."

oOoOo

While the Doctor went to scour the props room for some way to rig up a DNA scan, the girls stayed with Tallulah as she changed and got ready for her show that evening.

"Lazlo…He’d wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady," she was saying.  "He’d leave a flower for me on my dressing table.  Every day, just a single rose."

"Haven’t you reported him missing?" Martha asked.

"Sure, but he’s just a stagehand," she said with a shrug.  "Who cares?  The management certainly don’t."

"Then make them care," Rose said.  "Kick up a fuss.  Refuse to go on.  After all, you’re the star of the show," she added with a smile.

"Oh, honey," Tallulah said.  "I got one show in a back street revue and that’s only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle—which had nothin’ to do with me whatever anybody says.  I can’t afford to make a fuss.  They’ll fire me, and if I don’t make this month’s rent, then before you know it, I’m in Hooverville."

"That’s just…so wrong," Martha said, shaking her head.

"It’s the Depression, sweetie," Tallulah said with a small, broken smile.  "Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve.  Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin’.  Hoping he’s gonna come back."

She burst into tears, and Rose put her arms around her.  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.  Tallulah sank into the embrace for a moment, then pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"Hey, you’re lucky, though," she said.  "You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

Rose chuckled.  “Yeah, suppose I am.”

"Suppose nothing," Tallulah said, standing up from the vanity.  "I’ve seen the way he looks at you.  That man’d lay down his life for you."

"Wouldn’t be the first time," she murmured, and Martha looked at her sharply.  She just shook her head though.  "But listen," she continued in a louder voice.  "You can’t give up hope.  We’ll do everything we can to find Lazlo."

"Oh, I still got hope," Tallulah said with a small smile.  "It’s the only thing that’s kept me going ‘cause…look."  She lifted a white rose from the vanity and showed it to them.  "On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it’s Lazlo?" Martha asked, taking the rose with a frown.

"I don’t know," Tallulah said.  "If he’s still around, why’s he bein’ all secret like he doesn’t want me to see him?"  Both girls shrugged, not knowing what else to say.  "Yeah, that’s all I got either.  Well, here goes."

She pranced out into the hall, calling: “Girls, it’s showtime!”  A bustle of red sequined costumes came through the hall and onto the stage, bickering good naturedly.

"Come on, girls, take a look," Tallulah said, beckoning them forward.  "Ever been on stage before?"

"Oh, little bit," Rose said with a grin, exchanging a glance with Martha.

"You know, Shakespeare," Martha said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"How dull is that?" Tallulah asked, and they both chuckled.  "Come and see a real show," she urged, pulling them both toward the stage.

They stood in the wings as the showgirls took their places, and smiled as the revue started.  They swayed a little to the music as Tallulah sang about her, her love, and the Devil…until Martha nudged Rose in the side and nodded off to the other side of the stage.  Rose peered into the darkness and saw one of the pig men…but he didn’t look quite like the others.

"What the hell…" she murmured, then looked over as Martha started to make her way on stage.  "No, Martha!" she tried to whisper, but the other girl couldn’t hear her as she tried to hide behind another dancer.  She moved another step and ended up on someone’s tail, both of them going down in a heap.

"Get off the stage!" Tallulah cried.  "You’re spoilin’ it!"

"No, but look," Martha said, pointing at the pig man.

Tallulah saw him and screamed, and Martha made for the other edge of the stage.

"Martha!" Rose tried to call, but the other girl took off.  "Oh…blimey," Rose muttered before racing across the stage after her.  She lost her for a moment in the corridors back stage, but heard her yelling and took off toward the sound, catching up with her in the props room they had first entered.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rose asked.  "You can’t just go after unknown creatures on your own!"

"Oh, you mean like you and the Doctor do, yeah?" Martha spat angrily.  "Anyway, he was different.  That’s why I chased him."

Rose made a frustrated noise.  “Yeah, alright, but…that was still…hold on, what was that?”

They turned toward the snorting noise and screamed as pig men came out of the woodwork at them.

oOoOo

The Doctor cursed as he bolted for backstage.  The showgirls had screamed and run offstage, and he had no doubt that somehow Rose and Martha were involved.  And bloody, bloody Skaro.  His only hope now was that it was some madman with a DNA sample…though how that would work he had no idea…all he needed was another Davros on earth perfecting a new army of Daleks.

He grabbed Tallulah when he found her backstage.  “Where are they?  Rose and Martha, where did they go?”

"I don’t know," Tallulah said hurriedly.  "They ran off the stage."

Screams ripped through the corridor, and his blood ran cold as he raced toward the sound.  He ended up in the props room again, but neither girl was visible.

"Rose?" he yelled.  "Martha?"

His jaw clenched and his hands rolled into fists as cold fury overtook him.  He’d managed to lose both of them.  The girl he was supposed to protect and the girl he couldn’t live without.  He growled and grabbed his coat before working the lid on the manhole.

"Oh, where are you goin’?" Tallulah asked as she found him.

"They’ve taken her," he said through clenched teeth.  "Them.  They’ve taken the girls."

"Who’s taken them?" Tallulah asked, but he ignored her as he climbed down to the sewer.  He hopped past the last few rungs and pulled out a torch, shining it down the tunnel.  He looked up when he heard someone else on the ladder.

"No, no, no, no, no way," he said.  "You’re not coming."

"Tell me what’s going on," Tallulah demanded.

"There’s nothing you can do," he told her.  "Go back."

"Look, whoever’s taken them, they could’ve taken Lazlo, couldn’t they?" Tallulah asked him, stepping off the ladder.

"Tallulah, you’re not safe down here," he said, attempting to reason with her.

"Then that’s my problem," she said stubbornly.  "Come on.  Which way?"  She marched off down one of the tunnels.

"This way," he said with a sigh, glancing back just long enough to make sure she was following.

oOoOo

"No, let us go!" Martha yelled at the pig men holding her and Rose.  They were shoved callously against a wall, both making "oomph" noises on impact.

"You okay?" Rose asked quickly, pulling her by the arm to look at her.

"Yeah, think so," she said, nodding.  "You?"

Rose nodded quickly before scanning the area.  She saw more pig men coming their way, herding a line of people.  One of the men in the line—

"Martha!" Frank said.

"Frank!" Martha cried, leaping at him and hugging him hard.  He held her for a moment, looking up at Rose in confusion as she approached.  A pig man shoved her hard on the back.

"Yeah, alright," she spat out.  "Come on," she said to the other two as she joined the line.

"Wait," Frank said, releasing Martha.  "Where are they taking us?"

"I don’t know," Martha said, and Rose glanced back to see her clutching tightly to Frank’s hand, making her wish all the more that the Doctor was there.  "But we can find out what’s going on down here."

oOoOo

"When you say ‘they’ve taken them’, who’s ‘they’ exactly?" Tallulah asked as they moved through the tunnels.  "And who are you anyway?  I never asked."  The Doctor didn’t respond, simply shushed her.  "Okay.  Okay."

"Shh, shh, shh."

He moved a little ahead of her, eyes peering into the murky distance.  He stiffened when he saw the shadow of a Dalek approaching.

"I mean you’re handsome and all—" Tallulah started to say, and he whipped around, putting a hand over her mouth as he grabbed her and pulled her back down the tunnel and into a small recess in the wall.  He kept a hold on her and watched as the Dalek trundled by them, a muscle in his jaw working furiously.  He released Tallulah as soon as he was sure it was gone, moving back out into the tunnel.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," he murmured as he looked in the direction it had gone.  Part of him, a big part of him, had really hoped that just this once, he’d gotten everything wrong.  "They survived.  They always survive, no matter what I lose…" he trailed off.  "Rose," he whispered hoarsely.  He muttered a stream of curses in several languages as he glared into the darkness.

"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked, distracting him.  "What was it?"

"It’s called a Dalek," he said, barely turning his head.  "And it’s not just metal, it’s alive."

"You’re kidding me," she said with a laugh.

"Does it look like I’m kidding?" he asked dangerously, turning to her with fire burning in his eyes briefly before he looked back down the tunnel.  "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn’t a Dalek too.  It won’t stop until it’s killed every human being alive."

"But if it’s not a human being, that kinda implies it’s from outer space," Tallulah said, and he simply looked at her again.  "Yet again, that’s a “no” with the kidding.  Boy…Well, what’s it doin’ here, in New York?"

oOoOo

Rose, Martha, and Frank were bunched together with the group they’d joined in the tunnels.  Martha saw the wheels turning in Rose’s head, but the blonde hadn’t offered any solutions yet.

"What are they keeping us here for?" Frank asked.

"I don’t know," Martha said.  "But I’ve just got a nasty feeling that we’re being kept in the larder."

The pig men around them started squealing nervously, and they looked around cautiously.

"What’re they doing?" Frank asked.  "What’s wrong?  What’s wrong?"

"No no no no no…" Rose whispered, the blood draining in her face as something that looked like a large pepper pot trundled into view.

“ **SILENCE** ,” a grating, robotic voice ordered.  “ **SILENCE.** ”

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"Dalek," Rose muttered, venom dripping from the two syllables.  "Most evil, hateful race in the entire universe.  They caused Canary Wharf."

“ **YOU WILL FORM A LINE,** " the Dalek ordered.  " **MOVE.** ”

The pig men moved forward and began shoving the prisoners into a line.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha told the group.  "Just obey."

“ **THE FEMALE IS WISE,** " the Dalek said.  " **OBEY!** ”

“ **REPORT,** " ordered a second Dalek as it arrived.

“ **THESE ARE STRONG SPECIMENS,** " the first said.  " **THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAUSE.**   **WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?** ”

“ **THE DALEKANIUM IS IN PLACE,** " the second reported.  " **THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE.** ”

“ **THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION,** " the first said.

Rose’s eyes narrowed a pig man brought an older man forward.  The Dalek extended its plunger towards the man’s face.

“ **INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE,** " it said.  " **READING BRAIN WAVES.  LOW INTELLIGENCE.** ”

"You calling me stupid?" the man asked incredulously.

“ **THIS ONE WILL BECOME A PIG SLAVE.** " the Dalek said, and two pig men began pulling him away.

"No, let go of me!" the man cried, and Rose put a hand on Martha’s arm as she started in alarm.  "I’m not becoming one of them!"

The Dalek moved on the next in line.  “ **INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE.** ”

"Any ideas?" Martha whispered as they continued to scan the others.  Rose shook her head and shushed her, eyes trained on the Dalek as it moved quickly down the line to Frank.

“ **INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE,** " it proclaimed before turning to Martha.  " **INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE.** "  Rose took a deep breath as it moved on to her.  " **INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE.  THIS ONE WILL BECOME PART OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT.** ”

“ **WAIT!** " the second Dalek commanded.  " **THIS FEMALE IS RECOGNIZED AS A COMPANION OF THE DOCTOR, THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS.  SHE IS THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR.** ”

Martha’s head whipped around to Rose, who was now smiling brightly at the Daleks.

"Did you miss me?" she asked, and Martha’s jaw dropped.

“ **THE DOCTOR,** " the Dalek in front of her said.  " **WHERE IS HE?  HAS HE FOLLOWED YOU?  REPORT!** ”

"Why?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.  "Worried that he might ruin your little experiment?"

“ **REPORT!** " the Dalek screamed again, rolling closer.

"D’you see him?" she hollered back.  "Check out the visual evidence.  He’s not here, alright?"

The Dalek’s eye stalk scanned over her face several times before it seemed moderately satisfied.  “ **THE PIG SLAVES WILL SECURE THIS FEMALE SEPARATELY.** ”

Two pig slaves came forward and took a strong hold on each one of Rose’s arms while Martha looked on in horror.

 ”You can’t just experiment on people!” Martha cried finally.  “It’s insane!  It’s inhuman!”

“ **WE ARE NOT HUMAN,** ” the Dalek said.  “ **PRISONERS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE TRANSGENIC LABORATORY.** ”

With that, they trundled on, the pig slaves pulling Rose towards the front of the line.  Martha took a deep breath before wrapping her arms around herself and stumbling along with the rest of the line.

"Just keep walking," said a voice behind her suddenly, and she glanced back to see the Doctor’s tall frame behind her.

"I’m so glad to see you," she gasped.  "Rose—“

"Yeah, I know," he growled, and Martha shuddered, remembering the look of fury on his face when she’d been taken in New New York, and realizing that had been nothing compared to this.

They were led into a lab, and Rose was thrust down to her knees in front of another black Dalek in the front of the room.

“ **REPORT,** " the first Dalek they’d encountered ordered.

“ **DALEK SEC IS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION,** " another Dalek replied.

“ **SCAN HIM,** ” the first Dalek said.  “ **PREPARE FOR BIRTH.** ”

"Evolution?" the Doctor asked.

"What’s wrong with him?" Rose demanded from the front of the room.  "What do you mean _evolution_?  And, for that matter, what’s this final experiment you keep going on about?”

"What’s she doing?" Martha asked quickly.

"Trying to kill me," the Doctor groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face.  "Well…that, and trying to find out what’s going on."

“ **YOU WILL BEAR WITNESS,** " the first Dalek said.

"To what?" Rose asked.

“ **THIS IS THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE,** " the Dalek replied.

"Oh, blimey—A new age of _what_?” she asked, sounding impatient, and Martha glanced back to see the Doctor shaking his head in exasperation.

“ **WE ARE THE ONLY FOUR DALEKS.  THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE SHELL,** " the Dalek said.  " **THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN.** ”

The black Dalek in the front of the room—Dalek Sec—stopped vibrating and powered down completely with a hum.  The casing began to pull apart and open to reveal a hunched figure.  The figure stumbled forward out of the casing before pulling itself upright.  Martha took a step back and felt the Doctor’s hand on her shoulder as she took in the tentacled head containing a singular eye and brain coming out the top.  It’s flesh was a strange grey-ish brown color and its hands were ridged and almost claw-like—and it was wearing Diagoras’s suit.

"What is it?" Martha asked, horrified.  Her voice sounded loud in the silent lab.

"I am a human Dalek," it said.  "I am your future."


	23. Evolution of the Daleks (part 1)

"These…humans will become like me," Dalek Sec declared.  "Prepare them for hybridization."

The pig slaves holding Rose pulled her back to her feet, while the others advanced on the other prisoners.

"Leave me alone!" Rose heard Martha scream behind her while she continued to glare at the "human" Dalek.  "Don’t you dare!"

Suddenly, music started playing from somewhere, making everyone freeze as they looked around.  Rose simply smiled.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec demanded.

"That would be me," the Doctor said, stepping into view and turning the radio down.  "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera.  You okay?" he asked Rose.

"Oh, you know, same old," she said, shrugging as much as she could.  "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Mmm…yeah, I’ll work on that," he said, scratching at the back of his head.

"Doctor," Dalek Sec spat.

"The enemy of the Daleks," one of them declared.

"Exterminate!" said another, advancing on him.

"Wait!" Dalek Sec ordered, putting up his hands.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and dropped his hand, burying both in his pockets.  “Well, then. A new form of Dalek,” he said, stepping forward slowly.  “Fascinating…and very clever.”

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter," Sec told him.

“ _His_ slaughter,” Rose said with a snort.

The Doctor cut a warning look at her before turning back to Sec.  “How did you end up in 1930?”

"Emergency Temporal Shift," Sec replied.

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" the Doctor said.  He wandered around, glancing about the lab.  "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead your skulking away…hidden in the dark… _experimenting_.  All of which results in you.”

"I am Dalek in human form," Sec said.

"What does it feel like?" he asked.  "You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn’t it? That’s your name? You’ve got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you’re thinking right now."

"I…feel…humanity," Sec said slowly.

"Good," the Doctor said.  "That’s good."

"I…feel…everything we wanted from mankind," Sec continued, and Rose felt her hopes plummet.  "Which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such…a genius for war."

"No, that’s not what humanity means," the Doctor said with a frown.

"I think it does," Sec said.  "At heart, this species is so very…Dalek."

"All right, so what have you achieved then?" the Doctor asked derisively.  "With this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! ‘Cause I can show you what you’re missing with this thing," he declared, pointing the at the radio.  "Simple little radio," he added, patting it.

"What is the purpose of that device?" one of the other Daleks asked.

"Well, exactly," the Doctor said with a shrug.  "It plays music. What’s the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it…fall in love to it. Unless you’re a Dalek of course. Then it’s just noise."

He aimed the sonic screwdriver at the radio, which immediately began to emit a high-pitched wail.  Sec and the pig men held their heads in pain, while the other Daleks began to trundle about erratically.

"Run!" the Doctor yelled to the other prisoners, grabbing Rose by the waist and pulling her along with him as the Daleks screamed to protect the hybrid.

They tore through the tunnels, Martha stopping again at a cross point in confusion before the Doctor blew past her, urging her and the others on.  They took corners seemingly at random, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Daleks as possible.  They found Tallulah in one of the tunnels, and the Doctor yelled at her to follow, Rose and Martha grabbing her and pulling her along before she had a chance to protest.

"C’mon! Everyone up!" the Doctor yelled as he found a ladder, forcing everyone up ahead of him.  They bolted for Hooverville as soon as they were all up top, not slowing until they reached the fire light in the shanty town, panting and gasping.

That was when the Doctor grabbed Rose and pulled her into a tight hug.  She wrapped her arms around his waist and felt him shaking slightly as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Rose Tyler…you utterly ridiculous, completely brilliant girl," he breathed.  "I swear you’ll cause another regeneration yet."

"At least you didn’t think I died this time," she offered weakly.  He made an irritated noise and somehow managed to pull her tighter against him.  "They survived, Doctor.  They always survive, even when we lose everything."  Her voice broke slightly with the last words, and he pulled away, putting a hand on her cheek and looking down at her intently, his eyes burning into hers.

"Not everything," he said with quiet ferocity before he pressed a firm kiss to her lips.  He lifted his head after a moment, some of the fire in his eyes banked to a smolder as he ran his thumb over her cheekbone.  "C’mon.  I need to talk to Solomon…he’s got to get everyone out of here before the Daleks come looking for them.  Can you check on Martha and Tallulah?"

She nodded, and he pulled her over to the fire, where several of the escaped prisoners had already related versions of the events in the sewers.

"These Daleks," Solomon said as they approached, Rose moving to sit by the girls on crates.  "They sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna breed?"

"You two alright?" she whispered while the Doctor explained the situation.

"Yeah," Martha said as Tallulah nodded.  "So…what are those things?  You have history with them?"

"Oh…yeah," Rose said, letting out her breath in a whoosh.  "Me and the Daleks go way back.  They were supposed to be wiped out ages ago.  But somehow, they keep coming back."

"I thought the Doctor was going to have a coronary when you started questioning them," Martha said, and Rose smiled.  "Coronaries?  Whatever."

"Nearly did," the Doctor said, hearing the last comment.  "Rose likes to yell at Daleks, though.  She’s practically made a sport of it.  But listen, Solomon, I’m sorry, you’ve got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state; just get out of New York."

"There’s got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon protested.

"There’s not," Rose said.  "There’s ways to hide, or there’s ways to die.  They don’t leave any other options."

"You ain’t seen ‘em, boss," Frank said.  "I think…I think they might have a point."

"Daleks are bad enough at any time," the Doctor said.  "But right now they’re vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever."

They heard a whistle and a shout from the edge of Hooverville, and turned toward it.

"A sentry," Solomon said.  "Must have seen something."

"They’re here!" the sentry cried, stumbling towards them.  "I seen ‘em! Monsters! They’re monsters!"

"It’s started," the Doctor said in a hard voice.

"We’re under attack!" Solomon shouted.  "Everyone to arms!"

"You know, I know you’re against guns," Rose said, standing and stepping toward the Doctor.  "But there are times I sincerely miss carrying at least a blaster."

He arched an eyebrow at her as the men around them started collecting guns and other weapons, while other residents attempted to flee.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted after the deserters.  "We gotta stick together! It’s not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park," Martha said.

"We can’t!" the Doctor said tersely as people came running back toward them.  "They’re on all sides. They’re driving people back towards us."

"We’re trapped," Tallulah moaned.

"Then we stand together," Solomon said as the pig men drove them into a tight circle.  "Gather ‘round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together.  They can’t take all of us."

"If we can just hold them off till daylight," Martha said.

The Doctor looked up and took Rose’s hand.  “Oh, Martha, they’re just the foot soldiers.”

"Oh, my God," Martha whispered as a Dalek flew through the air towards them.

"What in this world—" Solomon started.

"It’s the devil," a man said.  "A devil in the sky. God save us all. It’s damnation."

"Oh yeah?" Frank asked.  "We’ll see about that!"

He raised his rifle and fired several shots at the Dalek, but there was no effect on the target.  Rose pushed forward and shoved the rifle down.

"Bullets don’t work," she said quickly.

"There’s more than one of them," Martha said fearfully as she and the Doctor pushed their way to Rose.

The two Daleks in the sky began zooming over Hooverville, shots from their death rays ringing out amidst the explosions they caused and the screaming of people injured or killed as they tried to escape. 

"The humans will surrender," one of the Daleks said, hovering above the crowd.

"Leave them alone!" the Doctor shouted, stepping forward angrily.  "They’ve done nothing to you!"  Solomon moved to step around him, but the Doctor tried to hold him back.  "No, Solomon.  Stay back."

"I’m told that I’m addressin’ the Daleks, is that right?" Solomon asked, attempting to shake the Doctor off.  "From what I hear, you’re outcasts, too."

"Solomon, don’t," the Doctor warned, his grip still tight on the other man.

"Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority," he ordered.  "Just let me try."  Solomon pushed the Doctor away again, and he stepped back, shaking his head.  The de facto mayor turned back to the Daleks.  "Daleks…ain’t we all the same? Underneath, ain’t we all kin?"  He set his rifle on the ground as a show of peace before continuing, and the Doctor’s gaze flicked back and forth between him and Daleks.  “‘Cause, see, I’ve just discovered this past day God’s universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it’s got to give me hope…hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I…I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you’ll meet with us and stop this fight. Well…what do you say?"

"Exterminate!" the Dalek said promptly.

"No!" Rose screamed when the death ray shot out, killing Solomon.  The Doctor held her back with an arm around her waist.

"Oh, no!" Frank moaned, rushing to Solomon’s side as the man dropped.  "No! Solomon!"

"They killed him," Martha said in shock.  "They just shot him on the spot."

The Doctor growled and pushed Rose behind him toward Martha before striding forward again.

"Daleks!" he yelled, furious now.  "I’ll repeat, these people have nothing to do with you.  You came for me…well, you’ve got me.  Do whatever you have to with me, but leave these people alone!"

"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy," the Dalek said, almost sounding pleased.

"Doctor!" he heard Rose shout behind him, and barely resisted the urge to turn around.  No, if they were finally going to take him out, it was going to be on his terms, and he was going to face it head on.

"Forgive me," he said quietly before looking back up at the Dalek.  "So come on, then!  What are you waiting for?"

"Extermin—" it started, but cut off.  The Doctor stared at it, bewildered.  "I do not understand. It is the Doctor." It paused, obviously listening to someone else.  “What of the killer of the Emperor?” it asked the unknown other, and the Doctor stiffened, holding his breath.  "The urge to kill is too strong."  Another pause.  "I…obey," it said finally, lowering its death ray, and the Doctor’s mouth dropped open.

"What’s going on?" he demanded.

"You will follow," the Dalek said reluctantly.

"No!" Martha shouted, and he finally turned to the two girls who were travelling with him.  "You can’t go!"

Rose didn’t say anything at first, her face a mix of fear and shock as her eyes flitted from him to the Dalek.  He knew she was aware of just how extraordinary this change of events was, no matter how angry she might have been at him offering himself up.

"I’ve got to go," he said softly.

"I-I know," she said weakly, and he saw tears fill her eyes.

"No, but you can’t!" Martha repeated, looking between them in horror. 

"Martha, the Daleks just changed their minds," he said, turning to her.  "Daleks never change their minds."

"But what about us?" Martha asked, gesturing to the group.

The Doctor raised his eyes and looked at the terrified faces, then spun back around to the Dalek.

"One condition!" he shouted.  "If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"The humans will be spared," the Dalek said after a moment.  "Doctor…follow."

"Then we’re coming with you," Martha said, and he whirled around again.

"Martha, stay here with Rose," he said.  "Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them."

"I hate this," Rose said as he turned to her, and he put a hand on her cheek.

"I know," he said softly.  "But I’ll be fine.  I’ll find you, I promise.  Wherever you end up."

Without giving her a chance to question this, he moved his hand behind her head, holding her in place as he crashed his lips down on hers.  He reached around her as he deepened the kiss, slipping the psychic paper in her back pocket before pulling her close.  Hopefully, she’d figure it out soon, if she hadn’t already.  He broke the kiss before he was anywhere near ready, not wanting to test the Dalek’s strange change of heart any further.

"I love you," he whispered, caressing her cheek.

"Always," she whispered back, and he pressed another quick kiss to her forehead before turning quickly and striding off after the Daleks.

oOoOo

Rose paced, fiddling with the psychic paper as Martha tended to another one of the wounded in Hooverville.  He wanted her to get in somewhere, that’s the only reason he could have had for giving it to her.  Somewhere connected to the Daleks.  But where?

"Here you go," Tallulah said, and Rose looked up to see her bringing in more sterile water.  "I got some more on the boil."

"Thanks," Martha said quickly before turning back to the man she was tending to.  "You’ll be all right. It’s just a cut. Try and keep it clean."

He murmured his thanks before moving off.  Tallulah moved to lean up against the wall.

"So what about us?" Tallulah asked.  "What do we do now?"

"The Doctor gave me his psychic paper," Rose said, bouncing the wallet on her lips.  "Just need to figure out _why_.”

"What’s that for?" Tallulah asked.

"Gets you into places, buildings and things," Martha said. "But where? He must want us to go somewhere but what are we supposed to do?"

"Dunno yet," Rose said, pacing again.  "C’mon, think…somewhere he already knew about, somewhere we’d need to go that would be guarded enough that we’d _need_ the psychic paper…where were we?” she asked suddenly, spinning around to the other two.  “I mean where in the city?  Where’s that lab?”

"I dunno," Martha said with a shrug.  "I couldn’t keep track of any directions down there."

"Me neither," Tallulah said, sounding apologetic as Rose frowned.  He’d already worked it out, but hadn’t had time to say…

"Wait a minute," Martha said.  "Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned this…energy conductor."

"Right…" Rose said, thinking hard.  What else had they said?  "And…what was…the Dalekanium is in place.  They created an energy conductor with Dalekanium.  But where…oh…" she trailed off, her eyes unfocusing as another thought came to her.  "Martha, let’s go ask Frank what it was Diagoras had them working on."

They found Frank sitting huddled outside a tent, still crying over the loss of Solomon.  Rose nudged Martha’s shoulder and nodded at him.

"Frank?" Martha asked, approaching slowly.

"Hm?" the boy asked, looking up sharply and wiping at his face.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah?" Martha asked.  "Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah," Frank said.  "He could find a profit anywhere."

"But where, though?" Martha asked.  "What sort of things?"

"You name it," Frank said with a shrug.  "We’re all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work. That pays the best."

Rose cleared her throat, and Martha glanced at her.  “But what sort of building work?” she asked Frank.

"Mainly building that," he said, pointing behind him.  Rose nodded when she looked up at the Empire State building.

"Thought as much," she said.  "Thanks, Frank.  C’mon, Martha.  Let’s do some sightseeing."

"Now, hold on, I can’t let you two venture out there alone," Frank protested, standing quickly.

"And you’re not leaving me behind," Tallulah said.

Rose looked at between them and sighed.  “C’mon then.”

oOoOo

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State Building," Martha said as they rode the service elevator to the top floor.  "Never imagined it quite like this, though."  Rose grinned at her.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked.

"Straight to the top," Rose said.  "Where they’re still building.  Whatever we’re looking for has got to be somewhere up there."

"How come those guys just let us through?" Tallulah asked.  "How’s that thing work?"

"Psychic paper," Rose explained.  "Says whatever I want it to say.  According to this," she said, glancing at the paper, "we’re two engineers and a couple of architects."

"Think I could borrow that when I go back home?" Martha asked with a smile.  "Skip over the exams?"

Rose laughed, stuffing it back in her pocket as the elevator reached the top floor.  They exited the elevator and fanned out into the room, looking for any clues as to how to stop the Daleks.

"Look at this pace," Tallulah said, looking around in wonder.  "Top of the world."

Martha scanned the room, and spotted the architectural diagrams on display.  She called for Rose, gesturing as she moved over to them.

"Okay, now this looks good," she said as Rose joined her.

"Hey, look at the date," Frank said, coming to look as well.  "These designs were issued today. They must’ve changed something last minute."

"The Daleks changed something," Rose said.  "What about the sheets underneath."

"They’re all from before," Martha said, leafing through them.  "That means whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not these other ones.  We need to check them against each other."

"The height of this place!" Tallulah said, walking slowly towards the edge.  "This is amazing!"

"No wandering off," Rose ordered, glancing at her.  "You fall from there, it’s a long way down."

"I just wanna see," she said, and moved away.

Rose rolled her eyes and helped Martha take the sheets down and spread them on the ground.  They leaned over and studied them carefully, looking for any differences between the old and newest diagram.

"I’ll go and keep an eye out," Frank said.  "Make sure we’re safe up here. Don’t want nobody buttin’ in."

They nodded, neither looking up as he moved out a side door and Tallulah made her way back toward them.

"There’s a hell of a storm movin’ in," she commented as she knelt next to them.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha said.  "He’d know what we’re looking for."

"Probably already does," Rose muttered.  "He always works things out in seconds, half the time before anyone even knows there’s a problem.  But what is it…gotta be up here…maybe…" she trailed off, peering at the drawings.

"So tell me, where did you and him first hook up?" Tallulah asked.

"He blew up my job," Rose said distractedly, moving between drawings.  "Then took me to the end of the world."

"Classy," Tallulah said, and Rose grinned up at her.  "What about you, Martha.  How’d you join this gang?"

"It was in a hospital," she said.  "Sort of."

"‘Course, him bein’ a doctor," Tallulah said.

"Martha’s the doctor," Rose said without looking up.

"Yeah?" Tallulah asked, her brows raising in surprise.  "You’re a physician?"

"Well, kind of," Martha admitted.  "I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

“I tell ya…the Doctor, the doctor, and the…” she trailed off, and Rose looked up at her with an arched brow, her lips twitching.  “Well, I dunno what you are, but nothin’ I’d wanna go up against.”

“That’s Rose in a nutshell,” Martha said with a grin, and Rose looked back down, shaking her head.

"I gotta say, Rose," Tallulah said, "that was one hell of a kiss back there.  If he does that all the time, you’re one lucky girl."  Martha snorted and Rose blushed furiously, but Tallulah sighed.  "You got real possibilities with that one.  Wish I could still say the same."

"Listen," Martha said.  "If the Doctor’s with Lazlo now, there’s every chance that he could get him out."

"And then what?" she asked.  "Don’t talk crazy. There’s no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

"I’m sorry, Tallulah," Rose said.  The other girl nodded, tears in her eyes, and stood again, moving away as she sniffled.  Rose and Martha exchanged a sad look before turning back to the plans.

"Gotcha!" Martha said suddenly, stabbing a finger at the diagram, and Rose looked over her shoulder.  "Look…there, on the mast. Those little lines? They’re new. They’ve added something, see?"

"Dalekanium," Rose said.  "Of course, perfect place to harness energy and send it straight down to the lab.  Oh, Martha Jones, you are brilliant!" she cried, throwing her arms around the girl’s neck.

"Yeah, but now what?" Martha asked.  "What are we going to do about it?"

"That’s…a really good question," she said uncertainly.  She stood up and helped Martha gather up the sheets as she thought hard, trying to figure out how to get the Dalekanium _off_ the mast and wishing again for a sonic…something of her own.  She looked up when she heard the bell ding for the lift and froze, unsure what to expect.

"Doctor!" Martha cried as the doors opened.

"First floor, perfumery," he said with a smile as Rose launched herself at him, barely aware that Lazlo and Tallulah were headed for a similar greeting, pig face or not.  "Hello," he said, squeezing her tight.

"Hello," she laughed, pulling away enough to kiss him hard.  "We really need to work on your self-sacrificial tendencies," she added when she broke the kiss.

"Yeah, one day," he agreed.  "What’d you find?"

"We worked it out," Martha said as Rose pulled him over to look at the plans.  "We know what they’ve done. There’s Dalekanium on the mast. And it’s good to see you too, by the way," she added with a smile.

"Oh, come here," he said with a grin, grabbing her in a bear hug and spinning her around, only to drop her abruptly when the bell for the lift made another ding and the door closed.

"No, no, no!" he cried, darting over to it and attempting to use his sonic screwdriver on the panel beside it before cursing and banging on it.  "It’s a deadlock seal. I can’t stop it."

"Where’s it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks," he said.  "And they’re not going to leave us alone up here. What’s the time?"

"11:15," Frank supplied.

"Six minutes to go," the Doctor said.  "I’ve got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah asked.  "What the heck is that?"

Rose led him outside to the scaffolding, the other three trailing behind.  She saw him get a little pale as he looked out on the city and bit her lip.

"Oh, that’s high," he said.  "That’s very—Blimey, that’s high."

"Yeah, and we’ve got to go higher," Rose said.  "The Dalekanium’s all the way at the top, on the mast.  See?" she asked, pointing higher.  "There’s three pieces attached to the base, and we’ve to get them off in…six minutes did you say?"

"Oh, probably closer to five now," he said, looking up.  "But listen, that’s not ‘we’. That’s just me."

"No, you’re not going to leave me down here to just watch—“

"No, Rose," he said quickly.  "But I’ve got to go up there, and the Daleks are coming up here.  You’re going to have to fight.  I’m sorry.  I think it’ll just be the pig slaves, so you might have a chance."

Rose took a deep breath, then nodded.  “Be careful,” she warned.

"You too," he said.  "And you, Martha…watch out for each other, yeah?"

"Yeah," Martha said.

He nodded and looked down at Rose again for a moment.  He made frustrated noise, then leaned down to kiss her quickly before spinning around and starting his climb.  Rose watched for a moment before making her way back inside.


	24. Evolution of the Daleks (part 2)

"Alright, come on, everyone grab any kind of weapon you can find," she said, picking up a pipe and testing its weight in her hand.  "They’ll be up any minute."

"The lift’s coming up," Martha said as the lift made another ding, and they arranged themselves in a line in front of the lift.

"I shoulda brought that gun," Frank said.

"Tallulah, stay back," Lazlo said, pushing her behind him. "You and Martha too, Rose. If they send pig slaves, they’re trained to kill."

"Yeah, well, I’ve had some training too," Rose said tersely.  "And I’m fairly certain that Martha’s here’s no pushover either."

"They’re savages," Lazlo argued.  "I should know. They’re trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."

Before they could protest more, Lazlo gasped and collapsed to the floor, Tallulah dropping to his side immediately.

"Lazlo?" she asked, her eyes going over him.  "What is it?"

"No, it’s nothing," he said, struggling to stand.  "I’m fine. Just leave me."

He fell back to the floor and leaned against a wall, and Tallulah put a hand to his forehead.

"Oh, honey, you’re burnin’ up," she said.  "What’s wrong with you? Tell me."

"One man down and we ain’t even started yet," Frank muttered.

"It’s not looking good," Martha said.

"Nope," Frank replied.

"We’re gonna get slaughtered," she said.

Rose glanced at them in worry, then heard the thunder outside and turned.  “Martha?” she asked.  “Remember when you first met us, how we told you about our mate Ben?”

"What?" Martha asked, confused as she followed Rose’s gaze, then realization hit.  "Wait a minute. Lightning."

They ran together to the other end of the room, Frank following quickly.

"Come on," Rose told him.  "These metal rods, if we can connect them from out here to the lift, then the lightning strike should take out the lift and anyone in it."

Frank nodded, and the three of them set to work arranging the rods across the room, making sure they were touching each other but not the floor.

"Aw, you’ll be all right, sweetheart. Don’t you worry," Tallulah was saying sweetly to Lazlo before rounding on them.  "What the hell are you clowns doin’?"

"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit," Martha explained.  "Great big bolt of lightning, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the lift and they get zapped."

"Oh my God, that could work," she said in surprise, and Rose rolled her eyes.

"Then give us a hand," Frank said.

They worked quickly for another few minutes until the rods reached the lift, stepping back to examine their handiwork when finished.

"Is that gonna work?" Tallulah asked doubtfully.

"It’s got to," Rose said with a shrug.

"I’ve got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank said, and she nodded.

"Come here, Frank," Martha said.  "Sit in the middle and don’t touch anything metal."

They huddled in a corner of the room, away from the metal as they watched the lift come ever closer…then heard something slip.  Rose cursed as they all turned to the rods in horror, jumping up and sprinting over to the one that had slipped out of place.

"Rose, you can’t!" Martha yelled at her.

"Won’t work if I don’t!" she yelled back, pulling the rod back into place just as the elevator dinged open.  She started to back away, but the lightening hit while she was still close, blasting her off her feet and several feet across the room.  Martha stared in horror at her friend, even as the pig slaves began to fall in the lift from the electric current.  As soon as it was over, she scuttled over to Rose.

"Rose, can you hear me?" she asked, looking her friend over and checking for a pulse.  "Oh god…if you die the Doctor’s gonna _kill_ me.”  Rose groaned, and Martha let out a breath of relief.  “Hiya,” she said cheerily, if a little brokenly.

"Hi," Rose said.  "We survived, then?"

"Yeah, thanks for that," Martha said weakly.

"All roasted," Frank said from his place at the lift, checking on the pig slaves.

"Mmm," Rose managed, nodding, then sat up straight.  "The Doctor."

She scrambled to her feet and rushed outside, Frank and Martha in hot pursuit.  She climbed up the ladder and froze when she saw the sonic screwdriver lying on the scaffolding.  She shook herself quickly, picking it up and shoving it in her pocket before proceeding to climb up the side of the scaffolding.  He had to be alright.  He had to be.  There was no way he could be—he _had_ to be alright.

She made her way onto the platform at the top of the scaffolding, scrambling over to where the Doctor was lying unconscious and kneeling beside him.

"Doctor!" she cried, looking him over, relieved when she still felt the double pulse.  "Found your sonic.  You should really be more careful.  You know you’re useless without it.  Oh…please wake up…"

She grinned when he groaned, the sound music to her ears.  “Oh…my head.”

"Hello," she said happily.

"Hello," he said, smiling weakly at her as he raised a hand to brush her hair back, and she held his hand in place as she turned her head to press a kiss to the inside of his wrist.

"God, the pair of you," Martha said in exasperation, shaking her head.  "It’s like you’re not having any fun if you don’t risk your life at least once.  Also…I can’t help noticing….there’s Dalekanium still attached."

The Doctor sat up with a grunt of effort, looking at the mast.  ”Right…had a small problem with that.  C’mon,” he added, getting to his feet and beginning the climb down the scaffolding, the other three following closely.

"What did she mean, the pair of us?" the Doctor asked suspiciously as Rose hopped down off the ladder next to him.

"Oh…nothing," she said evasively.  "Had some trouble down here, but it’s sorted."

"Sorted," Martha snorted as she joined them.  "I like that.  As if you weren’t electrocuted and blown off your feet."

"You what?" the Doctor asked, eyes widening as his brows shot up.

"It was nothing," she said, shooting a look at Martha.  "Was just a bit too close to the metal when the lightning struck is all.  I’m fine."

He looked into the room and saw the metal rods lined up all the way to the lift…which was filled with dead pig slaves.  That was one way to fix it.  But if she had been near the metal…chances were, if someone more human, like Martha, had tried that, she’d be far more injured.  Rose had gotten lucky.  He shook his head in irritation.

"Rose…" he started in a voice that meant an annoyed lecture was forthcoming, but she cut him off at the pass.

"And that wasn’t you unconscious up there, I suppose?" Rose asked pointedly, revealing that although she wasn’t yelling at him, she was far from thrilled.  "More to focus on at the moment that our mutual irritation at each other’s disregard for self-preservation, yeah?"

He let his breath out in a whoosh, running a hand through his hair as he spun back around to look out at the city.  She annoyed the hell out of him sometimes…but she also had a point, loathe though he was to admit it.

"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," he explained as the others joined him. "They’ll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

"There’s only one chance," he said.  "I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first."

"But what does that mean?" Martha asked as he went striding back into the room.

"We need to draw fire," he said.  "Before they can attack New York, I need to face them."  He stopped, scrubbing a hand down his face and then through his hair again.  "Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!" he shouted suddenly, spinning around to her.

 ”That’s me,” she said automatically.  “Three Ls and an H.”

"The theatre," he said.  "It’s right above them, and, what, it’s gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"

"Don’t see why not," she said with a shrug.

He spun around again, taking in the dead pig slaves in the lift.  Not gonna work, then.  “Is there another lift?”

"We came up in the service elevator," Rose told him, turning and rushing toward it.

"That’ll do," he said, following her.  "Allons-y!"

They piled into the lift, and Rose turned to Martha, who had her arms wrapped around herself tightly.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Martha said, a bit too quickly, before glancing up at her.  "It’s just…those pig slaves.  They used to be like Lazlo.  They used to be people.  And I killed them."

"No, you didn’t," Lazlo assured her as Rose put an arm around her shoulders.  "The Daleks did that a long time ago."

"He’s right, Martha," the Doctor said quietly.  "If you hadn’t come up with that, they might very well have killed all of you."

"Besides, you weren’t the only one who thought of it," Rose reminded her.  "Remember, me and my mate Ben?"  She paused, rubbing the girl’s arm.  "I know it’s hard, but you can’t let the guilt get you too much.  They didn’t give us a choice…we did what we had to."

Martha nodded, taking a deep breath and standing up straighter as the lift stopped at the ground floor.  They bundled out, hurrying out of the building and through the city towards the theater.

oOoOo

"This should do it," the Doctor said, climbing over the seats and waving his sonic screwdriver.  "Here we go."

"There ain’t nothin’ more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah said, shivering as she pulled her coat tighter around her.

"We could be in a morgue full of ghosts," Rose mused, watching the Doctor scan the theater.  "Or an old house being chased by a werewolf.  Or in a pit talking to the Devil.  Or—“

"Alright, I get it, yeesh," Tallulah said, holding up her hands.  "The theater’s not so bad."  She looked over as Lazlo fell into one of the chairs beside her.  "Lazlo, what’s wrong?" she asked in concern, sitting beside him.

"Nothing," he said, wheezing a little.  "It’s just so hot."

"But…it’s freezing in here," Tallulah said, frowning.  "Doctor, what’s happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah," the Doctor said, listening to the frequency on the sonic.  "Sorry."

"We’ll try to sort him out later," Rose said, but caught the Doctor’s look as she turned to him and wondered if he’d be able to help Lazlo at all.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they’ll wanna find their number one enemy," he said, raising the sonic screwdriver above his head.  "I’m just telling them where I am."

"So the Daleks are coming here?" Rose asked, looking around.

"Yeah," he said, his voice going all squeaky like it did when he was telling really obvious half-truths.  Rose looked up at him sharply, and he glanced at her before looking back up at the sonic.  "Them…and the human Dalek army they’ve raised…"

"Oh, that’s just…fantastic," Rose said sarcastically.  "How’re we supposed to fight against them?"

"We’re not," he said.  "I’m hoping that getting in the way of that gamma radiation will make the whole plan backfire on them…but it could get dicey," he added, stepping down from seat he’d been standing on.  "You two should—“

"Don’t you dare," Rose said, glaring up at him.  "It’s one thing to follow Daleks that spared your life or to split up because we can’t both be in two places at once, but I am not going to leave you here alone in the middle of a human Dalek army."

"Rose—“

He was cut off as the theater doors burst open and a stream of human Daleks flowed into the aisles on either side of them, flanking them and cutting them off from the exits.  The Doctor cursed quietly as he spun around to watch them.

"Well I guess that’s them then, huh?" Tallulah asked in a frightened voice.

"Humans," Martha said.  "With Dalek DNA?"

Frank moved to attack them, but the Doctor grabbed him quickly, holding him back.

"It’s all right," he said.  "Just stay calm. Don’t antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters?" Lazlo asked.  "Where are they?"

"Can’t be too far behind," Rose said, glancing around.  "Dicey, you said?"

"Could be, yeah," he replied, not taking his eyes off the army.

An explosion from the stage made them all duck behind the seats.  Rose peered over the seats at the stage to see two of the Daleks trundle forward through the smoke, Sec chained and crawling on all fours between them.  She glanced at the Doctor as he stood slowly, and reluctantly followed suit with the rest of the group.

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks," one of them ordered.  Rose grabbed his hand, and he squeezed briefly before stepping over a chair and walking forward over the backs of the rows until he reached the front row, balancing on the armrests to gain height as he stared them down.  "You will die, Doctor," the Dalek continued.  "It is the beginning of a new age."

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro," the other Dalek declared.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor said derisively.  "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That’s Dalek Sec," he said, gesturing to the now pitiful human Dalek hybrid.  "Don’t you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you’ve done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"Listen to him," Sec urged, and Rose had enough.

"Bit rich, Sec," Rose spat, standing on a chair herself as the Doctor’s head whipped around to look at her.  "You’re such a martyr now.  But how many have suffered the same fate because of you?  How many families have been ripped apart for the sake of Dalek supremacy?  How many victims have fallen?  How many _millions_ have wept in front of the Daleks and been shown no mercy?”

"Rose—“ the Doctor started, his voice filled with fear and warning.

"She’s correct," Sec gasped out, and they both turned to him in shock.  "My Daleks…just understand this…if you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

Rose stared.  This was the same Dalek that, twice now for her, had been the leader of a plot that had taken nearly everything from her in one way or another.  She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the fact that he was now urging change and spouting enlightenment.  Judging by the Doctor’s rigid stance, he was still struggling with it as well.

"Incorrect," the first Dalek said.  "We will always survive."

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor," said the other.

"But he can help you," Sec said.

"The Doctor must die," said the first.

"No, I beg you, don’t," Sec pleaded, crawling in front of it.

"Exterminate!" said the other, and the first fired—just as Sec struggled to his feet.  Rose’s hands went to her mouth as the leader fell, and she let Martha tug her back down to the floor.

"Your own leader," the Doctor said in disgust.  "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him.  Do you see what they did?" he asked, turning to the human Daleks.  "Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?  If I’m gonna die, let’s give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them," he said, holding his arms out.

"What’s he doing?" Martha whispered, but Rose simply shook her head, her eyes flitting between the Doctor, the Daleks, and the human Daleks to either side quickly.  He said the plan would backfire on them.  How was offering himself up to them _again_ going to accomplish that?

"Dalek-Humans, take aim," one of the Daleks said, and the human Daleks collectively cocked their weapons and aimed at the Doctor while Rose watched powerlessly, one hand on her mouth and one held tightly by Martha.

"What are you waiting for?" the Doctor taunted.  "Give the command!"

"Exterminate!" the Dalek ordered, and Rose closed her eyes, bowing her head.  After a moment in silence, she looked up again slowly to see the Doctor still standing tall.  She looked around, confused.  "Exterminate!" the Dalek ordered again, but still nothing happened.

"Obey," the first Dalek ordered.  "Dalek-Humans will obey!"

"Not firing," Martha said in amazement.  "What have you done?"

"He got in the way," Rose said slowly in astonishment, looking back at the Doctor.  "And it’s backfiring…"

"You will obey," the Dalek screamed.  "Exterminate."

"Why?" one of the human Daleks near the front asked, and all eyes snapped to him.

"Daleks do not question orders," the first Dalek said.

"But why?" the man asked again.

"You will stop this," the Dalek ordered.

"But…why?" the man repeated, this time looking up at the Doctor, who slowly lowered his arms, watching the man.

"You must not question!" the Dalek commanded.

"But you are not our master," the man said.  "And we…we are not Daleks."

"No, you’re not," the Doctor said just loud enough for them to hear.  "And you never will be."  He turned back to the Daleks, relaxing his stance as he buried his hands in his pockets.  "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom.”

"If they will not obey, then they must die," one of the Daleks said, shooting the man who had questioned them.

"Get down!" the Doctor yelled, and they all ducked quickly behind the seats as the Daleks and their creations fired at each other.  There were screams as the human Daleks fell around them, then explosions as the Daleks on stage were defeated.  When the shooting finally stopped, they cautiously stood up again.

"It’s all right," the Doctor said, moving over to the hybrids.  "It’s all right. It’s all right. You did it. You’re free."  He smiled a little, but then looked horrified as a high pitched whine was heard and all the hybrids clutched their heads.  "No!" the Doctor yelled.  "They can’t! They can’t! They can’t!"

"What happened?" Rose asked quickly as she moved out from behind the safety of the theater chairs to kneel beside one of the bodies.  "What the hell was that?"

"They killed them," the Doctor said, shocked and furious.  "Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Lazlo noted quietly.  "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, his face hard.  "In the whole universe, just one."

He stalked back up the aisle and grabbed his coat, shrugging into it as rage boiled in him.  Rose hurried to his side, putting a hand on his arm.  He looked down at her briefly, a muscle working furiously in his jaw, before he swallowed hard and turned away, striding out of the theater.  She watched him for a moment before going back to help the other girls assist Lazlo up and out of the building, following the Doctor back to the lab.  They were silent as they made their way through the city, ending up in the lab in time to hear the Doctor attempt to reason with the last Dalek in existence.  Rose’s eyes closed when she heard the temporal shift and the Doctor’s angry growl.  They always survived.

"Doctor!" Martha called, distracting her as the other two girls pulled Lazlo further into the lab. "Doctor, he’s sick."  Martha and Tallulah gently lowered him to the floor, Tallulah cradling his head in her lap as the Doctor approached slowly and knelt next to the stricken man.  "It’s his heart. It’s racing like mad. I’ve never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah asked fearfully.  "What’s the matter with him? He says he can’t breathe? What is it?"

"It’s time, sweetheart," Lazlo said softly, and Rose saw the Doctor give him a sad look.  She felt a growing sense of dread that this one might be beyond even him.

"What do you mean “time”?" Tallulah asked.  "What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves …survive for long," Lazlo said slowly.  "Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on ‘cause I had you. But now…I’m dyin’, Tallulah."

"No you’re not," Tallulah said forcefully.  "Not now, after all this. Doctor, can’t you do somethin’?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H…" the Doctor said sadly, then took a deep breath as the fight came back to him.  "Just you watch me."  He stood quickly, removing his coat and tossing it aside.  "What do I need? Oh, I don’t know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I’ve got one," he said, grinning as he put his arms out expansively before running around the lab, mixing up some concoction.  "Lazlo, just you hold on.  There’s been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way," he ordered quickly, taking his stethoscope out of his pocket and putting it on.  "The Doctor is in."

oOoOo

"Do you reckon it’s gonna work, those two?" Martha asked as they once again stood at the edge of Liberty Island, looking out across the bay at Manhattan.

The Doctor had managed to at least stabilize Lazlo, even though he couldn’t restore him, and Frank had convinced the people of Hooverville to give him a home.  Tallulah had been thrilled, and had been spending all her time cuddling up to him without worry of his appearance now.  Love had conquered all, it seemed.

"I don’t know," the Doctor said.  "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that’s what this city’s good at."

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…" Rose murmured.

"And maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too," the Doctor added with a wink, and she laughed, rolling her eyes at him.

"The pig and the showgirl," Martha said with a laugh.

"The pig and the showgirl," the Doctor repeated with a smile.

"Just proves it, I suppose," Martha said, and they looked at her curiously.  "There’s someone for everyone."

The Doctor looked down at Rose for a moment, his face unreadable.  Then he shook himself, pulling her closer to press a kiss to her hair before looking out at the skyline again.

"Maybe," he said softly as Rose rested her head on his shoulder.  The uncertainty of the word confused Martha, making her wonder again what had been going through his mind that day a few weeks ago when he’d looked so sad and thoughtful.  She shook herself as the other two turned away and headed back toward the TARDIS, following behind.

"Meant to say…sorry," she said as they approached the ship.

"What for?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Just ‘cause that Dalek got away," she said.  "Think you’ll ever see it again?"

"Oh yes," he said as Rose unlocked the TARDIS.  "One day."

"We always do," Rose said bitterly as they stepped inside.  “Oh, by the way…”  He turned to her curiously after throwing his coat over a coral strut.

_Slap._

Martha’s jaw dropped when she saw him stagger back from the monumental slap Rose had given him across the face.

“What was that for?” he demanded, holding a hand to his cheek.

“That was for not once, not twice, but _three bloody times_ doing something _monumentally_ stupid and damn near suicidal you stupid bloody Time Lord _git_ ,” she growled as she advanced on him, and his brows furrowed as he swallowed hard.  Then she grabbed his lapels and pulled him down for a hard kiss.  He seemed to freeze for a moment before his arms went around her, holding her tightly against himself as the kiss went on.  Martha was about to leave when Rose suddenly broke the kiss, stepping away from him and leaving him looking a little dazed.

“And…and that?” he asked, his voice squeaky.

“That’s for being brilliant enough to know all of it would work,” she said walking towards the console.  He followed her after a moment, casting a slightly embarrassed glance at Martha before maneuvering them into the Vortex, Rose leaning against the console next to him.  Martha moved to the jump seat and studied the pair thoughtfully.

"Doctor, how come you’re their number one enemy?" she asked suddenly, and the other two both raised their eyes to look at her.  "I mean, they said that more than once, and they certainly wanted you dead, even more than anyone else.  Why?"

He glanced at Rose briefly before returning his gaze to her.  “That war…the one Rose mentioned?  The Daleks were the ones my people fought.  Those four…well, not just those four, but particularly those four…they managed to escape.”

"Like you?" she asked.

He hesitated, looking down at the console.  “No, not like me.  They fled into the Void.”

"How did you escape?" she asked.  She didn’t miss the way Rose opened her mouth to say something, or the way she shut it again and looked at the Doctor in concern.  He was looking at the console, stiff with tension.  "Doctor?"

"I ended it," he said quietly.  "I survived because I ended it.  Everyone else died."

"What did you—“ she started to ask, but stopped when she saw Rose’s warning look.

"Anyway," the Doctor said loudly, looking up again.  "So that was New York, 1930.  On the other side of the grand old US of A, fellow by the name of Charles Chaplin has become a big name, and is, right now, finishing production of his film City Lights, due out early next year.  What do you say we go see if he wants a hand, hmm?"

"Sounds good to me," Rose said with a smile.

They chattered happily, and Martha shook her head in disbelief.  She didn’t think she’d ever understand the Doctor’s whiplash inducing mood-shifts, or Rose’s ability to follow them.  As they landed in sunny California, though, she decided that she had better things to think about at the moment than the Doctor’s haunted past…which, she realized, was probably exactly his plan.


	25. Masochist

The Doctor prowled restlessly through the corridors of the TARDIS, his thoughts keeping him from relaxing like he used to while Rose slept.  The thoughts that had been torturing him the last few weeks and months scorched through his mind, compounded by the fury brought on by facing the Daleks yet again.  And not just any Daleks, oh no, the same bloody four who, mere months ago, had been an integral part of the crisis that had once succeeded in ripping Rose from him, just long enough to make them both miserable and nearly destroy them.  She’d come back and survived this time, barely, but it didn’t diminish from the fact that without them, she wouldn’t have had to.

_Killer of the Emperor._

He ran a hand through his hair distractedly.  That was the thing.  All the things that had been seeping into his mind about Rose were thrown in stark relief after seeing the Daleks again, because everything led back to them.  Daleks had been the foe when she’d made that fateful decision to take in the Vortex to save his life and doom her own.  Between them, he and the Daleks had stolen from her any chance of a human life.  All the thorns that had begun to prick at him shortly after dealing with Lazarus were starting to grow and gouge at him.  How long until she started seeing it too?  Before she started realizing what a complete mess he’d made of her life simply by entering it?

And this, all this, was even disregarding the growing problem in his mind.  That burning ache, the one that throbbed at the best of times and blazed every time they made love was steadily becoming worse.  He hadn’t expected that.  He knew it would be…bothersome to be with her so completely without being able to create that bond, but it had been tolerable at first.  He hadn’t realized that it would get so much worse as time progressed, how painful it would be to resist attempting to reach out for her mentally, bordering even on the physical now.  It didn’t help that the Face of Boe’s words kept running through his mind, torturing him with possibilities that were out of his grasp.  He’d been wrong about everything.  There was no one to fill that void for the Doctor—no Time Lords, and certainly not Rose.  Her human mind simply wouldn’t sustain that.

His eyes narrowed as he was hit with random recollections.  The way she’d locked her mind away on New Earth, driving him mad for months because humans couldn’t do that.  The way she’d buried herself in the library, subsequently making observations well beyond her knowledge base.  The way she could very nearly keep up with his thought processes most of the time now.  The way she’d been able to sense the psychic energy used by the Carrionites.

He shook his head roughly.  No.

Even if, by some infinitesimally small chance, her mind was able to sustain a telepathic bond, he wouldn’t put her through that…he couldn’t.  To see him in that moment as he truly was, exposed beyond the shadows, all his guilt and yet untold sins revealed, it would break her, drive her away—but by then, it would be too late.  Neither of them would be able to escape.  No, a permanent telepathic bond was not something he could risk for either of them, regardless of how much the craving for it might hurt.

It was slowly occurring to him that simply having a matching lifespan might not be enough to keep them together forever.  The slow accumulation of regret, guilt and pain would take its toll, and they’d fall apart.  He just wasn’t the person for anyone.  He wondered now if it really would have been better, when she came back, had she simply walked away and saved them both from a glittering future of fragile glass, just waiting to shatter.

“There you are,” came a sleepy voice behind him, and he froze, hands buried in his pockets and closing his eyes briefly as he struggled to gain control over his warring emotions.  He just couldn’t delve into any of this with her.  Not yet.  He took a deep breath and pivoted around to face her.

“Hello,” he said softly.

“Hello,” she said with a smile.  “You alright?  You disappeared on me.”  He nodded, but she studied him suspiciously in a way that never failed to unnerve him.  “The Daleks?”

He scratched the back of his head and shrugged.  “They do have a habit of making our lives difficult, don’t they?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, stepping closer to run a hand over his other arm, her eyes full of sympathy and understanding.

“Yeah,” he said weakly, watching her as he dropped his hand back to his side.  No matter what, she always managed to make his hearts skip a beat and his breath hitch.  He loved her more completely than he’d ever thought possible…which was why all the things he couldn’t tell her hurt so much, all the fear and doubt about their future.  “Rose…are you happy?”

She stared at him for a second.  “Of course I am.  I have you, I have the TARDIS, I have a new friend…” she trailed off, frowning as her eyes raked over his face.  “Doctor, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head.  “Just…making sure.”

She narrowed her eyes a little.  “Whatever’s going on in that big Time Lord brain of yours, just stop it,” she said, stepping closer and raising her hand to the back of his neck as he arched an eyebrow at her.  “As long as I have you, I’m happy.  I love you.”

“Rose…” He wanted to tell her how much happier she would have been if she hadn’t met him, if she’d never travelled with him, never had to do the things she’d done or change the way she had…but he couldn’t.  Selfish though it might be, he wanted to pretend for a little longer that it could work, that it didn’t hurt.  He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to press his lips to hers, pushing the guilt, the fear, the doubts, the burn, everything that told of how impossible they still were into the back of his mind, as far as possible.  He groaned when she nipped at his bottom lip, spinning them both around and pinning her against the wall as he plunged his tongue into her open mouth, her hands raking through his hair as his hands skimmed down her sides to grasp her hips firmly.  She moaned against his lips, and he broke the kiss only to pick her up and carry her back to his bedroom.  Masochistic though it was, he intended to surround himself with the one person who could make the universe stop, who could make the timelines and accompanying pain fade into the background, who could make him feel whole and healed…for as long as possible.

oOoOo

A week after the episode with the Daleks, the Doctor and his two female companions were piling breathlessly into a taxi in London.  They were after eggs that had been stolen from the royal hatchery on Hroltog 9 by a profiteering Lizard who specialized in dealing with rare breeds on the black market.  He had chosen to hide on Earth while finding a buyer, but the Hroltogian monarchy was convinced that the people of Sol 3 were somehow accomplices in his scheme and were therefor ready to declare war on the planet.  As if this wasn’t bad enough, when they finally managed to track down the Lizard, they found that he himself had been robbed by a mob of Turayans while they stopped on Earth briefly during their migration across the galaxy.  He begged for their help, because he apparently found a buyer who took terminal offense to people who couldn’t deliver on their promises.  So now they had to find the eggs before Turayans left the planet…and before they hatched prematurely…and before the Lizard’s buyer sent extraterrestrial mercenaries into the streets of London on a lizard-hunt…and before the Hroltogian monarchy lost their patience and started blasting the planets to bits.  So, basically, average day for them.

The Doctor jumped out as soon as the taxi rolled to a stop in front of some kind of shop, spinning around to hold the door open for Rose and Martha as they moved to exit the vehicle.

“C’mon, ladies,” he urged, adjusting the bow over his back and jiggling his leg impatiently.  “Time’s a-wastin!”

“You know, for someone with a time machine, you seem to cut a very close deadline incredibly often,” Martha commented grumpily as they stepped out and hurried down the street.

“I swear all that stuff about established events is made up,” Rose muttered in agreement.  “He just likes to be impressive.”

“Oi!” the Doctor cried.  “I’m quite impressive enough without having to exacerbate situations with needless time crunches, thank you.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Rose said. 

“Doctor!” a voice called, and he and Rose both turned, confused, to see a blonde woman rushing towards them from the shop.

"Hello!" the Doctor said with a smile.  "Sorry, bit of a rush, there’s a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it."

"My God, it’s you," the blonde said, looking stunned.  "It really is you. Oh, you don’t remember me, do you?"

"We don’t have time for this," Martha said, hurrying back to them.

"She’s right, Doctor," Rose said reluctantly, tearing her eyes from the woman.  "Migration’s started."

The Doctor nodded, but hesitated.  “Look, sorry, I’ve got a bit of a complex life. Things don’t always happen to me in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings, I’m rubbish at weddings, especially my own.”

"Well, this one seemed to turn out alright," the woman said, glancing at Rose with a smile.

"I’m sorry?" he asked, leaning toward her a little as he stared at her, thunderstruck.

"Oh, my God!" she cried in sudden realization.  "Of course, you’re a time traveler. It hasn’t happened yet! None of it, it’s still in your future!"

"What hasn’t happened?" he asked, glancing from her to Rose in alarm.

"Doctor!" Martha broke in.  "Twenty minutes to red hatching!"

"It was me," the woman said.  "Oh, for God’s sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me!"

"Got what?" he asked her.

"Okay. Listen," said the woman, holding out a purple folder.  "One day you’re going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you’ve got this with you. You’re going to need it."

"Doctor," Rose urged, tugging on his arm as he took the folder with the other hand.

"Yeah, listen…" he said, glancing between them again.  "Listen, got to dash…things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

"Okay," the woman said quickly.  "No worries, on you go. See you around, some day."

He turned and they started jogging away, but he paused and turned to the woman once again.  “What was your name?”

"Sally Sparrow," she replied with a smile.

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow," he said with a grin.

A young man walked up to Sally and stared at the Doctor with a dumbstruck expression as the Doctor arched an eyebrow at him.  Sally smiled at him and took his hand before turning back to the Doctor.

"Goodbye, Doctor," she said.  "Oh, and congratulations."

He looked at her sharply as she turned to walk back to the shop, stuffing the purple folder into his pocket thoughtfully.  Not the first time someone said something about him being married to Rose, but he’d always regarded these instances as consequences of referring to her as his wife when necessary on adventures.  This…seemed different, and altogether more worrying, because there would be absolutely no way he would stand for a human Earth ceremony with anyone, even Rose, not unless…unless he could have the marriage he wanted and craved so badly, complete with impossible bonds.  He shook his head and hurried after the girls, deciding that Sally Sparrow must have been tragically mistaken.

It wasn’t until later, when the eggs had been returned to the royal hatchery, the Hroltogians were on their way home, the Lizard had been placed in a fairly permanent variety of protective custody, the sinister buyer was apprehended, and the Turayans were back to their transgalactic journey that the Doctor considered Sally Sparrow again, flipping idly through the folder while he sat in the console room.  Some pictures…a letter…a…transcript?  He scanned through it, but hurriedly put everything away again when he caught the words “lady wife”, remembering then what else Sally had said and how excruciatingly wrong she was. 

He wasn’t sure anymore how long he could keep up the pretense that everything was fine.  His relationship was going to fall apart…it was just a matter of time.  If he didn’t break from the pain of his telepathic need first, then it would be Rose waking up and realizing what an unmitigated disaster her life was because of him that would tear them asunder.

“Doctor,” Martha called.

“Hmm?”  He looked up to see both girls grinning at him from the arched corridor entrance.  “What’s going on?”

“Movie night,” Martha said happily.

“Even have Duck Soup AND the Muppet Movie in the lineup,” Rose said, walking over to take his hand and drag him up.  “Can you believe Martha’s never seen EITHER?”

“Oh, you’re kidding!” the Doctor said, forcing cheer into his voice.  “Oh, Martha Jones, you are in for a treat.”

He smiled as Rose leaned up to kiss his cheek before pulling him down the corridor with them.  It couldn’t last…but he’d be damned if he didn’t try to hold on as long as possible.


	26. 42 (part 1)

The Doctor and Rose were chatting at the console when Martha trudged into the room and plopped unceremoniously onto the jump seat, making the other two glance at her in concern.  Usually, the minute she woke up she was bouncing and ready to go somewhere, much to the Doctor’s delight, having dealt with “not a morning person” Rose the last few years, but today she was feeling genuinely homesick for the first time since she’d started travelling with them.  She was tempted to ask for a visit home, but still had a nagging fear that the Doctor would take it the wrong way and just ditch her there.

"Martha?" Rose asked, sitting down next to her.  "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Martha said, shaking her head.  She looked up as the Doctor arched an eyebrow at her and sighed.  "Just a bit…homesick.  Kind of wish I could talk to Tish or my mum, you know?"

She regretted her word choice when the other two glanced at one another.  This was home for them…they didn’t have anyone else to miss.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.  "Think you can manage some jiggery pokery?"

"Oh, I think I could work something out," he said, looking back at Martha with a grin.  "Got your phone?"

Martha stood up, confused as she handed him her phone.  She leaned against the console as he flipped it open and ran his sonic screwdriver over it.

"Remember asking me how I could use a phone in the 16th century?" he asked casually.

"Sort of," she said.  "Hey, what happened to your phone anyway?"

"Lost it," he said with a shrug as he paced around the console, still working on the phone.  "Only had one number in it, and that’s the only person that had the number to it.  Since someone went and got theirs broken—“  He shot a glance at Rose, who rolled her eyes.  "—it didn’t really serve much purpose for me.  There we go!" he said happily, snapping the phone shut and tossing it back to Martha.  "Universal Roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again."

Martha stared at him for a second before looking down at the phone.  She flipped it open and looked at the screen, now displaying “Universal Roaming Activated.”

"No way!" she cried.  "But it’s…too mad! You’re telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?"

"Long as you know the area code," he said with a smile.  "Frequent Fliers’ privilege. Go on. Try it."

She started to dial, but was knocked to the floor as the TARDIS gave a sudden jolt.  She picked herself up to see the Doctor staring at the monitor in concern.

"Distress signal! Locking on!" he shouted.  "Rose, hit the…that one!" he shouted as her hand hovered over a switch.  "Yeah.  Hold on, might be a bit of—“

He was cut off as another violent jolt rocked through the ship, sending all three flying again.

"…Turbulence," he finished as he sat up.  "Ow.  You two alright?" he asked, pulling himself to his feet and holding out a hand for Rose as Martha stood gingerly.  "Sorry about that. Ah, well, come on. Let’s take a look!"

He spun and darted off for the doors while Rose and Martha exchanged a knowing look.  Only the Doctor could get that excited about someone being in dire need of help.

"Whoa!" the Doctor said as he stepped out, Rose and Martha just behind him.  "Now that is hot!"

"It’s like a sauna in here!" Martha cried, taking off her jacket and handing it off to Rose, who threw it back into the TARDIS along with her sweatshirt before moving alongside the Doctor to look at the equipment along the wall.

"What’s all this…venting systems?" she asked in surprise, glancing at him.

"Mmm…" the Doctor said, nodding as he crouched by the equipment.  "Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down…uh, where-ever it is we are," he added, glancing around again as he stood up straight.  "Well! If you can’t stand the heat…"

He moved over to a door and spun to wheel to open it.  Rose looked around again, getting an intensely bad feeling about the situation before following him with Martha.

"Oh, that’s better," she said as she stepped through the door and felt a slight decrease in overall temperature.

"Oi! You three!" shouted a voice, and the Doctor and Rose turned to see three people running toward them, all of them looking overheated.

"Get out of there!" shouted the woman.

"Seal that door!" ordered one of the men.  "Now!"

The two men rushed to the door and sealed it just after Martha stepped out while the Doctor stared at them in confusion.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded.  "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the younger of the two men asked.

"Why would we be police?" the Doctor asked, frowning as his confusion grew.

"We got your distress signal," Rose explained.  "What’s going on?  What’s wrong?"

"If this is a ship, why can’t I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked, glancing around.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman said reluctantly.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering…Captain," the older man said with a slight sneer.

"Secure closure active," a computer voice intoned, punctuated by a loud clang somewhere else in the ship.

"What?" the Captain asked, looking behind her.

"The ship’s gone mad," the older man said.

"Who activated secure closure?" another woman cried as she ran toward them, a door slamming shut just behind her.  "I nearly got locked in to area 27!"  As she spoke, another door slammed closed behind her, locking them in the area. "Who are you?" the newcomer asked, looking at the trio in puzzlement.

The Doctor moved to answer, but Martha cut him off without even looking at him.  “He’s the Doctor, she’s Rose and I’m Martha,” she said, sounding distracted.  “Hello.”

She walked forward toward a window, her movements looking strange and automatic.  Rose frowned, but turned back to the captain.

"And you are?" she asked.

"Kath McDonnell," the woman replied.  "And that’s Scannell, Riley, and Erina," she added, nodding at the older man, younger man, and other woman in turn.

"Impact projection: 42 minutes," the computer voice reported as Rose nodded before moving towards Martha and looking out a window that had golden light streaming through it.  Rose’s eyes widened as she took in the awesome and fearful view.

"We’ll get out of this," McDonnell said.  "I promise."

"Doctor," Rose called.

"Forty-two minutes ‘til what?" he asked the Captain, ignoring her.

"Doctor!" Martha cried, sounding panicky.  "Look!"

He ran over and looked out the window over Rose’s shoulder, and she felt him stiffen behind her as he took in the burning sun that was entirely too close for comfort…and getting closer.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," McDonnell explained.

The Doctor spun away from the window, darting back to the Captain and grabbing her by the upper arms as he looked down at her.

"How many crew members on board?" he demanded quickly.

"Seven, including us," the Captain reported.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," said Scannell.  "Everything’s automated. We just keep the ship…"

"Call the others," the Doctor ordered.  "I’ll get you out!"

"What’s he doing?" Riley yelled as the Doctor rushed for the door they came through.  All four crew members moved quickly to stop him.

"No! Don’t!" the Captain yelled, but the Doctor was already opening the door.  The heat from the other area had risen to the point that the Doctor was knocked back with a shout as soon as the door was opened.  Rose and Martha immediately knelt by him, but he seemed to be alright, if a little shaken.

"But my ship’s in there!" he shouted as one of the crew quickly closed the door while wearing protective equipment.

"In the vent chamber?" Riley asked, incredulous.

"It’s our lifeboat," the Doctor explained, getting to his feet.

"It’s lava," Scannell corrected.

Erina took off the protective equipment and peered at the dials next to the door.  “The temperature’s going mad in there,” she said.  “Up 3000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising.”

"Channeling the air," Riley said.  "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room’s gonna get."

"We’re stuck here," Martha said, sounding angry.

"Not the first time we’ve been separated from the TARDIS," Rose said quickly.  "We’ll work it out.  The engines are dead.  So…first order of business should be trying to fix those, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded.  “We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?”

He spun around when the Captain nodded, darting down the corridor.  Everyone followed him down a set of stairs, but were stopped when he halted suddenly, staring around him in bemusement.

"Blimey," he said.  "Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh my god!" McDonnell cried.  The Doctor walked toward the engine, pacing around it as he examined it.  The others joined him, taking in the bits of wire, springs, and casing that were everywhere, all steaming.

"What the hell happened?" Scannell asked.

"Oh, it’s wrecked," Riley said.

"Pretty efficiently too," the Doctor said wandering over to a terminal and putting on his specs.  "Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where’s Korwin?" McDonnell demanded.  "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell said.

"Crew members missing after the engine’s been sabotaged," Rose commented, walking toward the Doctor as he looked at her with raised eyebrows.  "That’s not weird or suspicious at all."  She glanced at McDonnell as she raced over to an intercom and screamed into it for Korwin and Ashton.  "This is bad, Doctor."

"I know," he said quietly.  "I stranded you…again.  You and Martha."

"Not what I meant," she said with a dismissive wave.  "At least the TARDIS is still on board, and your little time ship is made of sterner stuff than this crew gives her credit for.  She’ll be okay…if we can fix this.  I was more talking about the fact that we apparently can’t even trust the small crew that’s left."

"Yeah…that’s a problem," he agreed, glancing around at the crew briefly before turning back to the monitor and scanning for a location.  "Oh! We’re in the Torajji system! Lovely! You’re a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha snapped snarkily as the Doctor stepped over to the captain again.

"And, you’re still using energy scoops for fusion?" he asked.  "Hasn’t that been outlawed yet?"

McDonnell exchanged a shifty look with Riley, and the Doctor arched an eyebrow at her.

"We’re due to upgrade next docking," she said dismissively before moving past him.  The Doctor and Rose exchanged a suspicious glance before he followed her.

"What’re energy scoops?" Martha asked as McDonnell tried to get an engine report from Scannell.  "Is that like the H20 scoops?"

"No," Rose said, and the Doctor glanced at her.  "Energy scoops mean that a ship can literally scoop up reacting material from things…stars and things…to create fusion fuel for the ship."

"Sounds dangerous," Martha commented.

"Extremely," the Doctor said as McDonnell continued to try the system without much success.  "Rose, how did you know that?"

"Library," Rose said with a shrug.  He rewarded her with an odd look, and she frowned.  "What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, whipping off his specs and returning to the problem at hand.  "Right, so, repairing the engines isn’t going to happen anytime soon, what else have we got?  Anyone?"

He glanced around expectantly.  “Auxiliary engines?” Rose asked meekly.

"Auxiliary engines!" he shouted, beaming at her.  "Every craft’s got auxiliaries!"

"We don’t have access from here," McDonnell said, shaking her head.  "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with 29 password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell said.  "You’ll never get there in time."

"Can’t you override the doors?" Martha asked.

"No," he replied, shaking his head.  "Sealed closure means what it says. They’re all dead-lock sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver’s no use," the Doctor said, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Nothing’s any use," Scannell said in a leaden voice.  "We’ve got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Oh, that’s nice," Rose snorted.  "Right ray of sunshine, you are."

"Honestly, listen to you!" the Doctor cried.  "Defeated before you’ve even started! Where’s your Dunkirk spirit?"  He gave Scannell a disappointed look before turning to McDonnell again.  "Who’s got the door passwords?"

"They’re randomly generated," Riley said.  "Reckon I know most of ‘em."

"Then what’re you waiting for, Riley?" he asked, assuming command.  "Get on it."

"Well, it’s a two-person job," he explained, fetching a large backpack and a magnetic clamp.  "One to answer the questions, and the other to carry this," he said, putting the bag on his back.  "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh Riley?" McDonnell said with a small smile.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse," he said good-naturedly.  "Nice!"

"I’ll help you," Martha said, taking the clamp from him.  "Make myself useful."

"It’s remotely controlled by computer panel," Riley told her.  "That’s why it needs two."

He turned and headed for the doors, but Rose grabbed Martha’s arm before she could follow.

"Be careful," she said, squeezing the other girl’s arm gently.

"Yeah, you too," she said.  "Try to avoid the near-death experiences, yeah?" she cautioned, her eyes going between her and the Doctor, who looked up and gave her a small smile.  She smiled back, and took Rose’s hand to squeeze gently before heading off after Riley.

"McDonnell?" a voice suddenly called over the intercom.  "It’s Ashton."

McDonnell darted back to the panel.  “Where are you? Is Korwin with you?”

"Get up to the med-center NOW!" the voice ordered.

McDonnell immediately spun away and ran from the room.  The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look and chased after her up to the med-center.  They found two people holding down a third on a bed, who was struggling and groaning in pain.

"Argh!" the man groaned, his eyes squeezed shut.  "Stop it!"

"Korwin, it’s Abi!" the girl in scrubs shouted.  "Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you!"

"Korwin!" McDonnell cried, rushing forwards.  "What’s happened? Is he OK?"

"Oh Kath!" he cried.  "Help me! IT’S BURNING ME!"

"Rose, stay back," the Doctor said, frowning in concern.  "How long’s he been like this?"

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi said as the Doctor started scanning Korwin with the sonic.

"What are you doing?" McDonnell demanded when Korwin gave another shriek of pain.  She moved closer, but Rose grabbed her arm.

"You might want to stay back as well," she warned.

"Don’t be so stupid," McDonnell said, shaking her off and moving past Ashton to the head of the bed.  "That’s my husband!"

"And he’s just sabotaged our ship," Ashton informed her angrily.

"What?" she cried.

"He went mad," Ashton said with a shrug.  "He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way!" McDonnell said, shaking her head.  "He wouldn’t do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain," Ashton insisted.

"Korwin?" the Doctor said gently, putting away his sonic screwdriver.  "Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can’t!" Korwin cried painfully.

"Yeah, course you can," the Doctor said.  "Go on."

"Don’t make me look at you!" Korwin yelled, thrashing harder.  "Please!"

"Alright, alright, alright," he said, moving off the bed and picking up a dart gun on a medical tray.  "Just relax. Sedative?" he asked, holding it up to Abi and pressing it to Korwin’s neck when she confirmed this.  Korwin gave another shout, then stilled.

"Doctor, what’s wrong with him?" Rose asked, coming closer as he dropped the gun back on the tray.

He leaned against the bed, scrubbing a hand over his face before crossing his arms.  “Some sort of infection.  Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings…”  He trailed off and glanced at the machinery around the bed.  “Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail.”

"Just doing them now," Abi said, barely looking up from what she was doing.

"Oh, I like her," Rose said with a grin.

"You’re good, I’ll give you that," he said.  "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far," Abi said, shaking her head.

"Well, that’s something, right?" Rose asked.  The Doctor glanced at her and nodded once, but didn’t really look relieved.  She understood…this situation was out of control enough without adding an epidemic to it.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked, looking down at Korwin.

"We’re not sure yet," the Doctor said gently.  "We’ll know more after the test results. Now, Allons-y, back downstairs. Eh! See about those engines. Go," he ordered, and Ashton turned and hurried out of the room.

"Captain," Rose said, moving toward McDonnell when she didn’t move.  "He’s fine for now, Abi’s got him.  But we need your help, and if we don’t figure out a way to get this ship moving, it’s not going to matter what’s wrong with him."

McDonnell hesitated another second, then nodded and left.

"And here I was just going to order her around again," the Doctor said, turning for the door.

"That’s why everyone says I’m the nice one," she said.

"And they’re right," he said.  "Call us if there’s news," he told Abi as they ran for the door.  "Any questions?" 

"Yeah," she said, scoffing lightly.  "Who are you?"

He stuck his head back in the door briefly.  “I’m the Doctor!”


	27. 42 (part 2)

The Doctor and Rose spent a few minutes trying to sort through the wreckage of the engine controls before the Doctor started itching for status reports from Abi and Martha.  The computer was still counting down to impact, and the situation was quickly spinning out of control.  The only thing he could do was keep the information coming, so he jumped to the intercom.

"Abi, how’s Korwin doing?" he asked.  "Any results from the bio-scan?"

"He’s under heavy sedation," Abi reported.  "I’m just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll let you know."

He switched over, calling for Martha.  “Martha? Riley? How’re you doing?”

"Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight!" Martha told him.

He put his specs on to peer at the readout above the comm station, looking at the time of progress between doors.  He didn’t like it.  “You’ve gotta move faster!” he urged her.

"We’re doing our best!" Martha shouted back.

The Doctor turned, leaving the comm open, to find Rose next to him.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, his voice going a little squeaky.  "Um…yeah.  Mostly.  Sort of…not.  But it’ll be fine.  Probably."

"Not exactly filling me full of confidence here, Doctor," she said, arching an eyebrow.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but the conversation between Riley and Martha filtered down to them instead.

"Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367… what?" asked Riley.

"You said the crew knew all the answers," Martha said, sounding scared.

"The crew’s changed since we set the questions," Riley said defensively.

"You’re joking…" Martha moaned.

"379," the Doctor and Rose said together, and his eyes snapped down to her.

"What?" Martha asked, startled.

"It’s a sequence of happy primes," Rose explained.  "379."

"Happy what?" Martha asked, sounding thoroughly confused.

"Just enter it!" the Doctor snapped, still looking down at Rose.  Since when did Rose know _happy primes_?

"Are you sure?" Riley asked.  "We only get one chance!"

The Doctor growled and spun around the intercom.  “Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number,” he said rapid-fire in an annoyed tone.  “Any number that doesn’t, isn’t. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in!”

"We’re through!" Martha called after a minute, and the Doctor let out a breath.

"Keep moving, fast as you can," he said urgently. "And, Martha…be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

"Any time you wanna unnerve me, feel free!" she said.

"Will do, thanks," he said lightly, switching off the comm. and turning to Rose.  "379?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You’re not the only one who can indulge in a little recreational mathematics," she said with a tongue in teeth grin before turning and going back to the controls.  He watched her with a slightly bemused smile.  Part of him desperately wanted to pin her against the wall at the words "recreational mathematics," while another part of him was desperately trying to make sense of the fact that she knew anything about it at all.

_Priorities_ , he told himself sternly as he followed her back to the controls.  They moved the stricken machinery for a few more minutes before the Doctor stepped back in frustration.

"These are useless," he said unhappily.

"That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you," Scannell said irritably.

"Is unhelpful pessimist your only setting?" Rose asked, and the Doctor smirked.  "Or do you think you could maybe start being just a _bit_ constructive?”

"We need a backup in case they don’t reach the auxiliary engines in time," he said. "Come on! Think! Resources, what have we got?"

"Doctor!" called Martha’s voice over the comm.

"What is it now?" he groaned.

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis, or the Beatles?" she asked.  "That’s pre-download."

"Elvis," the Doctor said confidently.

"The Beatles," Rose said…just as confidently, and at the same time.  They stared at each other blankly for a second.

"Guys, you were the ones who wanted us to go quick, yeah?" Martha’s voice came through the comm.

"Wait!" the Doctor cried.  "Um…um…" he paused, screwing up his face and slapping the back of his head as he thought furiously.  "Argh! Was that a remix? Um…I don’t know! I am a bit busy!"

"Fine," Martha snapped, sounding a little put out.  "I’ll ask someone else!"

"Now, where was I?" he asked as the comm cut out.  "’Here Comes the Sun’. No, resources. What’ve we got?"

"Well, the power’s still working," Rose said slowly.  "Generator is still operating, so shouldn’t we be able reroute some of that, bypass the controls?"

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship," McDonnell said while the Doctor stared between them.

"Right," Rose said, nodding.  "It should be able to at least buy us some time, yeah?"

"That…is brilliant," McDonnell said, impressed.

"See!" the Doctor cried as the crew smiled, finally believing they might have a way out of this mess.  "Tiny glimmer of hope!"

"If it works," Scannell said morosely.

"Oh, believe me," McDonnell said, pinning him with a look.  "You’re gonna make it work."

The Doctor looked at her with new respect as Scannell trudged off, looking a little dejected.

"That told him!" he said with a smile.

They all moved to various tasks as they tried to work out a way to reroute the generator power around the controls.  At some point, Rose moved past him, and he grabbed her round the waist, pulling back against his chest and leaning down to her ear.

"Remind me to explain to you later how unbelievably sexy you are when you’re being brilliant," he said in a low, slightly husky voice, and smiled when he felt her shiver.

"I’ll hold you to that," she whispered back before moving away from him again.

oOoOo

"Doctor," Abi called over the comm several minutes later.  "These readings are starting to scare me."

"What d’you mean?" he asked, striding over to the comm station.

"Well, Korwin’s body’s changing," she said.  "His whole biological make-up, it…it’s impossible."  She went quiet, and the Doctor was about to ask for more information when she started speaking again, her entire demeanor changed as she switched channels so that her voice carried through the ship.  "This is med-center. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"

The Doctor stared at the comm in shock for a split-second before taking off.

"Stay here!" he yelled as he ran.  "Keep working!"

Rose wasn’t surprised to see McDonnell run after him, but was a little relieved when Scannell did as well.  At least he’d have some back-up if something was seriously wrong, because one of them had to stay down here to help with the engine repairs.

"Urgent assistance!" Abi called again.

"Abi, they’re on their way," Rose said quickly into the comm.

"What’s happening to you?" she heard Abi ask fearfully—the comm was still wide open in the med-center. 

“ ** _Burn with me_** ,” said a deep, sinister voice. Rose stared at the panel in alarm.  “ ** _Burn with me_**.”

"What was that?" Erina asked in a shaky voice.  Rose shook her head.

“ ** _Burn with me_** ,” came the voice again.

"K-Korwin, you’re sick…" Abi said, terrified.

“ ** _Burn. With. Me!_** " the voice repeated again.  A second later, they heard the screaming start.  Rose’s hands went to her mouth as it seemed to go on forever—and then it stopped.

"Doctor?" Martha’s voice called after a beat.  "What were those screams?"

"Concentrate on those doors!" the Doctor yelled.  "You’ve gotta keep moving forward!"

"Come on," Rose said, ignoring the slight static of the still open comm.  "We’ve got a job to do too."

She turned her attention back to the controls, trying to concentrate.  She listened with half an ear to Ashton giving Erina a list of parts to get; he paused for a moment when they heard the sound of three running footsteps before the comm finally cut out from the med-center.

"I’ll go with you, Erina," she said, needing to walk, needing to move, anything.  She was sure Abi was dead…no one screamed like that—or _stopped_ screaming like that—and stayed alive.  The situation, already so completely out of control, was getting impossibly worse, even as they inched closer to the sun.

She barely paid attention while Erina complained about Ashton’s bossiness all the way to equipment storage, the girl prattling on without really needing someone to hear her, just needing to talk about something other than what they’d heard.  Rose nodded and umm-ed along as they moved through the corridor.

"Everybody listen to me!" McDonnell’s voice called over the comm as Erina approached a storage locker. "Something has infected Korwin. We think…he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

Erina looked at Rose in horror.  “She’s…dead?”

"I’m sorry, Erina," Rose said softly, stepping back to lean against the wall between two banks of lockers.

"Erina?" Ashton called.  "Get back here with that equipment."

"Whatever you say, boss," Erina said sarcastically, and Rose closed her eyes, rubbing her fingers on her temples.  She was getting a ridiculous headache, most likely from everything unraveling around them.  "Go there. Come back. Fetch this. Carry these. Make drinks. Sweep up! Please, kill me now."

“ ** _Burn with me_** ,” a voice said, and Rose’s eyes snapped open.  Someone—Korwin, she corrected herself—was standing just in front of Erina, wearing a protective mask and gloves.  His breath rasped through the mask, and he advanced on the girl, driving her back towards another wall.  “ ** _Burn with me_** ,” he said again, and Rose stepped out from her accidental hiding space to try to confront Korwin, just in time to see him put a hand up to raise his visor, a blinding light spilling out and making Rose back away, closing her eyes again as Erina screamed—and then stopped.  She opened her eyes again as Korwin closed the visor and turned.

“ ** _Burn with me_** ,” he said, and Rose did the one thing she knew she could do better than anything: she ran.  She tore through the corridors, heading for the med-center to find the Doctor, then stopped dead.

"Ashton," she murmured, spinning around and heading back for the engine room to warn the other man about Korwin, hoping to god she didn’t run into the infected man on the way.  She got lucky, making it all the way to engineering and pressing through the plastic at the entrance without running into anyone, only to halt just inside at the sight of Korwin gripping Ashton by the front of his jacket.

"Korwin… it’s me," Ashton said, trying to plead with the infected man.  "We’re mates!"

“ ** _They are getting too far_** ,” Korwin said.  “ ** _We must share the light_**.”

Korwin raised his hands to the other man’s head, and steam rose as the other man screamed.  Rose hesitated, and then cursed herself as she spun back around, knowing that hesitation was exactly what had kept her from saving Ashton from Korwin in the first place.  Now it sounded like they’d have two infected on board as well as two dead.  She needed to find the Doctor, _now_.

oOoOo

"There’s something I’m missing," the Doctor said, leaning against the bed in the med-center.  "The first thing Korwin did when he was infected is destroy the controls.  Why?  It could have killed you anywhere."

"That’s encouraging," Scannell said.

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head.  "It just doesn’t make any sense.  Why keep you here to fall into the sun if it’s just going to kill you off anyway?"

He heard running feet just outside and spun as he straightened to see Rose barrel into the room, looking alarmed.

"Oh, thank god you’re still here," she said breathlessly.  "Korwin, he killed Erina, and I’m pretty sure Ashton is infected."

“ _What_?” the Doctor cried, leaping toward her and grabbing her by the upper arms.  “What happened?”

"I went with Erina to get equipment," she explained.  "He found her there, backed her against the wall, then raised his visor and there was…this light.  And then she was gone."

"He didn’t see you?" the Doctor demanded, his eyes raking over her face.

"He did, but I ran," she said.  "Learned from the best.  Anyway, I double-backed to warn Ashton, but Korwin got to him first.  Said something…something about needing to share the light."

The Doctor cursed.  Two dead, two infected, and inching ever closer to the sun.  _Brilliant_.

_What light?_

"Come on," he said quickly, spinning Rose around and pushing her out the door.  "You two as well," he hollered over his shoulder.  "We need to get back down to engineering, get those engines jump-started.  The sooner we get away from the sun, the sooner we can focus on the infection."

"Doctor!" came Martha’s panicked voice over the intercom, and he stopped dead in the corridor, nearly ready to beat his head against a wall.  "We’re stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew’s trying to jettison us! You’ve gotta help us!"

"Oh my god, this is a nightmare," Rose moaned, running a hand through her hair as the Doctor jumped to a terminal, bringing up a diagram of the ship to find the best route to area 17.

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked.

"You two, stay here!" the Doctor ordered.  "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!  Rose, come on."

They tore off through the corridors again, hopping over door frames and trailing wires everywhere.

"I could’ve stayed to help them," Rose called as they ran.

"I’m not letting you out of my sight again until we’re back in the TARDIS," she heard him growl ahead of her.  Not a happy Time Lord.  She followed him as he ran through the door to Area 17 to see Ashton standing in front of a control panel wearing the same protective gear Korwin had.

"That’s enough!" the Doctor yelled.  "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

Ashton didn’t answer, but gave a roar and slammed a fist into the control panel in front of him, sending sparks flying.  He then turned and took a few purposeful steps toward them.

"Doctor?" Rose asked uncertainly.  "Don’t…don’t let him look at you, Doctor."

"What are you?" the Doctor asked as Ashton advanced until they were nearly nose to nose.  "What do you want with this ship?"

Ashton raised his hand to his visor, and the Doctor tried to push Rose behind him even as she tried to tug him away.  Before the infected man could do anything else, though, he gave a shout, doubling over in pain and backing away.  Within seconds, however, he was standing straight again and walking past them out the door.

"Why didn’t he go for us?" Rose asked.

"For the moment, let’s just be glad he didn’t," the Doctor said, jumping for the intercom.  "McDonnell! Ashton’s heading in your direction! Any sign of Korwin?"

"Korwin’s dead, Doctor," Scannell called back.

The Doctor looked back at Rose, and she knew he was torn.  He didn’t like that someone else was dead…but Korwin was already too far gone, and his death meant one less infected person on board.  She moved him on to more pressing matters.

"Doctor, where’s Martha?" she asked.

"Airlock decompression completed," a computer voice informed them.  "Jettisoning pod."

They looked at each other in horror, both of them jumping for the airlock door at once, but they couldn’t make it budge.  The Doctor raised his head and looked out the window.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, her voice shaking.

"I’ll save you!" he screamed through the door, sounding desperate.  "I’ll save you!"

He spun away from the door again with a frustrated growl, just as the computer informed them that there were seventeen minutes left until impact.  He ran his hands over his face, thinking hard.

"Doctor, we have to get her back," Rose said in a low voice.

"I know," he replied.  He stood still for another second, tension coming off him in waves.  He glanced at her, then jumped for the intercom.  "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area 17, now!"

"What for?" Scannell asked.

"Just get down here!" he yelled angrily.

"Doctor, what are you going to do?" Rose demanded.  "You can’t go out there, you’ll get roasted!"

"Would you rather it be her?" he snapped in frustration, turning to her with a glare.  "If I don’t take that risk, she falls into the sun, is that what you want?"

"Of course not!" she retorted quickly.  "But I don’t want to lose both of you because you went on a suicide mission with no chance of success, either!  What are you going to do?"

The Doctor took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair in a concentrated effort to calm down.  “If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship’s exterior, it should remagnetize the pod.  It’ll only take a few minutes.  The ship’s shields will protect me from the worst of it.”

"Are you sure that will work?" she asked.

"It has to," he said curtly as Scannell came in with the space suit.  The Doctor grabbed it from him, pulling it on hurriedly as he explained his plan.

"I can’t let you do this," Scannell argued.

"Don’t bother, Scannell," Rose said, frustrated.  "If I couldn’t stop him, you certainly won’t."

"You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun," Scannell said, ignoring her. "No-one can survive that!"

"Oh, just you watch," the Doctor growled.

"You open that airlock, it’s suicide," Scannell said.  "This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

The Doctor avoided Rose’s eyes when they flew to him.  “Trust me, I can handle it.  While I’m out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines.”

"Doctor, will you listen!" Scannell cried.  "They’re too far away, it’s too late!"

The Doctor didn’t respond, but finally looked at Rose.  She saw the determination in his face to save their friend, and she knew nothing was going to stop him now.

"I want that space suit back in one piece," she said, stepping closer as her eyes burned.

"Yes sir," he said, giving her a small smile before wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her hard.  "I’ll see you later."

"Not if I see you first," she replied as he released her and pulled on his helmet.

Scannell started the decompression once the Doctor was in the airlock, showing her the sequence for recompression when he made it back in before taking off with the kit for the doors.  She went back to the door, leaning up to look out the window as the airlock door opened and the Doctor struggled his way out of it.  He was hanging out the side for several minutes before she moved back to the comm.

"How’re you doing, Doctor?" she asked, trying to keep as much concern out of her voice as possible.

"I can’t…I can’t reach," he panted.  "I don’t know how much longer I can last."

Fear rose in her, but she kept her voice even as she said, “You can do this, Doctor.  She needs you.”

She turned back to the window, biting her nails furiously and willing him to finish whatever he’d started and come back to her.  She glanced over when the controls chirped, and moved to see the screen readout.  She gave a whoop when she saw the word “remagnetizing” pop up, jumping back for the window to see the Doctor kneeling by the airlock door, looking out at the returning pod.

"Rose, close the airlock or that pod’ll smash right into him," Scannell said over the intercom.

"Doctor, move back," she yelled into the comm before closing the airlock and starting the recompression sequence.  As soon as it was complete, she jumped back over to the door and hauled it open and the Doctor lurched out, his helmet already off.  He groaned and fell to his knees in pain.

"Doctor?" she asked, dropping to his side as he pushed himself back to the wall, his eyes closed tight and a grimace on his face.  "Doctor, what’s wrong?"

"Stay away from me!" he yelled in a furious voice, his voice deeper than it should be as he opened his eyes briefly and blinding light poured out.

"No," Rose whispered.  He couldn’t be infected.  Not now.  Not him.  They’d never get out alive if he couldn’t make it through.

"It’s…it’s the sun," he panted as he screwed his eyes shut again.

"Doctor!" Martha’s voice came behind her as she scrambled through the door.  "Rose! You did it!" She paused, taking in their positions.  "Is he ok?"

"No," Rose snapped.

"What’s happened?" McDonnell demanded as she made her way to them.

"It’s your fault, Captain McDonnell!" the Doctor shouted.

McDonnell looked momentarily shocked, but quickly pulled herself together.  “Riley! Get down to area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!”

"You mined that sun!" the Doctor shouted as Riley hurried away.  "Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"

"I don’t understand," McDonnell said.

"The…the sun’s alive?" Rose asked, stunned.

"They scooped out its heart," the Doctor said angrily.  "Used it for fuel, and now it’s screaming!"

"What do you mean?" McDonnell asked, frightened.  "How can a sun be alive? Why’s he saying that?"

"Because it’s living in me," he told her.


	28. 42 (part 3)

"Oh my god…" McDonnell moaned, her hands flying to her face as she realized the full extent of what she’d done.

"Humans!" he shouted, furious and in agony.  "You grab whatever’s nearest and bleed it dry!  You should have scanned!

"It takes too long!" McDonnell cried.  "We’d be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal."

"For a reason!" Rose shouted.  "You should have upgraded ages ago, and none of this would have happened!"  She turned back to the Doctor as he screamed in pain.  "Doctor, tell me there’s something we can do."

"You’ve got to freeze me, quickly!" he said.

"What?" Martha asked, coming to his other side as Rose tried to pull him to his feet with little success.

"Stasis chamber!" he cried.  "You gotta keep me…below minus 200. Freeze it out of me!"  He screamed again, and Rose shot another glare at McDonnell.  "It’ll use me to kill you if you don’t! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-center! Quickly! Quickly!"

"C’mon, Martha," Rose grunted, pulling him to his feet with Martha and making her way down the corridor.

"What can I do?" McDonnell asked.

"You’ve done enough," Rose snapped.

They made their way along the corridor as quickly as they could, Rose grimacing and fighting back a moan every time the Doctor screamed in pain.  They dropped the Doctor onto the bed and Martha ran to the controls for the stasis chamber.

"Please tell me you can figure out how to work this thing," Rose said quickly.

"I can do it," Martha said, trying to sound confident.  Rose watched her uncertainly, coming towards her.  "I can do it!  I’ll figure it out!"

"Rose, where are you?" the Doctor asked, sounding terrified now.

"I’m right here," Rose said, returning to his side and grabbing his hand while pressing the other to his cheek as he thrashed.  "Martha’s at the controls.  Minus 200, yeah?"

"No, you don’t know how this equipment works!" McDonnell said, and Rose whipped around to glare at her in hatred.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded.

"You’ll kill him!" McDonnell cried.  "Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

"He’s not human," Martha told her, barely looking up.  "If he says he can survive, then he can."

"Let me help you then!" McDonnell urged, moving closer, but Rose stepped between them.

"Touch those controls, and falling into the sun will be the least of your worries," Rose said darkly, and McDonnell backed away in alarm.

"Like she said," Martha spat angrily, turning back to her work.  "You’ve done enough damage."

"Ten seconds," the Doctor panted.  "That’s all I’ll be able to take. No more!"  He screamed again, and Rose returned to his side and trying to calm his thrashing.

"Doctor, we’ve got you," she said soothingly, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"It’s burning me up, Rose," he said, holding tightly to her hand.  "I can’t control it. If you don’t get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all." He screamed again, and Rose blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes as he whimpered.  "I’m scared! I’m so scared!"

"I know," she said, pressing a kiss to the burning skin of his forehead.  "I know.  Just try to stay calm.  We’ve got you.  We’re both gonna get you through this, me and Martha.  She’s brilliant, yeah?"

"You saved me, now I’m returning the favor," Martha said.  "Just…just believe in me."

"It’s burning through me!" he cried.  "I dunno what will happen.  Rose…Rose…if I…if I change—“

"Stop it," she ordered.  "That’s not going to happen, alright?  We’re not going to let it."

"Rose," Martha said, nodding to the lever she was holding.

"Doctor, I love you," she said, kissing his quivering lips before pulling away.

"You ready?" Martha asked.

"No," the Doctor said, but Rose nodded, biting her lip.  Martha nodded back and pushed the lever, making the Doctor slide back into the chamber.  Rose made her way to Martha’s side as the doctor in training typed in 200 and pressed a button to start the freezing process.  Rose shuddered as the Doctor screamed, closing her eyes and turning away.  She spun around again when she heard the power go down.

"No!" the Doctor screamed from inside the chamber.  "Martha you can’t stop it! Not yet!"

"What happened?" Rose demanded, coming forward again.  "Why’d it turn off?"

"Power’s been cut in engineering," McDonnell said, looking at a readout.

"But who’s down there?" Martha asked.

"Leave it to me," McDonnell said darkly, running out of the room as the Doctor screamed again.

Rose stepped forward to the controls, hitting buttons at random with no response.  She made smashed a fist into the side of the stasis chamber with a shriek of frustration.

"Rose, calm down," Martha warned.

"No!" she cried.  "I will _not_ calm down.  This stupid bloody ship with its stupid bloody humans—“

"Rose," came the Doctor’s voice, and she stopped, spinning around to the stasis chamber to look inside at him.  "Listen, I’ve only got a moment. The two of you have gotta go!"

"Not a chance," she said quickly, shaking her head.

"Get to the front!" he said.  "Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"

"I’m not leaving you," she said hotly.

"You’ve got to!" he screamed.  "Give back what they took!"  He screamed again.  "Please, go!"

She straightened with resolve and turned to Martha.  “Go, do what he said.  Vent the engines.”

"He said—“

"I don’t care," she said.  "I’m not leaving him.  You go.  Fix their mistake."  The other girl hesitated, looking at her with wide eyes.  "Martha, _go_!”

"I’ll come back for you," Martha said, reaching out to squeeze her arm lightly before taking off into the corridor.

"It’ll be alright, Doctor," Rose said, touching his leg and making him jerk and scream again.  "She’ll take care of it!"

"Rose, what the hell are you still doing here?" he screamed.  "Get out!"

"I told you," she said forcefully.  "I’m not gonna leave you."

"Gah!  You stupid girl!" he shouted, and she backed up a pace as he screamed again.  "You just won’t be satisfied until I kill you myself, will you?"

She bit her lip.  She didn’t want to leave him, but she didn’t want to set herself up, either.  Even if he could come back after the engines were vented, if he killed her first, he’d never forgive himself…and really, she wasn’t keen on dying, by his hand or any other, in any scenario.  She jumped when he started wiggling, moving towards the edge of the stasis chamber, and make a quick decision, bolting for the corridor.  She stopped just outside the door, reasoning that at least now she wouldn’t be in his immediate vicinity if he lost control, but she didn’t have to completely leave him on his own either.

She closed her eyes when she heard him crash to the floor with another cry of pain.  She stayed rooted in the spot as crashes around the room punctuated his lurching movements as he tried to fight the possession of the screaming sun.  She jumped again when he stumbled out of the room, eyes still screwed shut; she moved quickly down the corridor, trying to put some space between them.

"Rose," he called, sound scared again.

"Doctor, just hold on," she said.  "Martha’s got to be nearly there."

"I can’t fight it," he said, falling to his knees.  "Go!  You’ve got to give it back or—" He stopped, shuddering, and pushed his way to his feet.  " ** _Burn with me_**.”

Rose straightened in shock, then tried to circle around him, away from where he thought her to be.  Her shoe scraped on the wall, and he turned, catching her around the waist and pushing her against the wall.

“ ** _Burn with me, Rose_** ,” he said.

"Doctor!" she cried, trying desperately to wriggle out of his grasp.  "You’re stronger than this!  Stronger than those humans!  Superior Time Lord…everything, right?"  He hesitated, and she tried using that to her advantage.  "Doctor, please, fight it.  Don’t do this.  I…I love you."

He held her against the wall for another second before spinning away with a scream of agony, falling to his knees again as his eyes opened and the blinding light spilled out.  She edged away from him, tears stinging her eyes.  Then ship gave a huge lurch, knocking her to the ground, and she heard it: the computer voice that she’d been ignoring with purpose up until now made it through.

"Fuel dump in progress."

She watched him carefully as his screams died down to a groan and the light faded from his eyes.  Finally, he fell onto his back, the light gone completely, and she scrambled toward him.

"Doctor," she whispered, touching his chest with hesitation.  He was silent, breathing deeply for a moment before looking up at her.

"Rose Tyler," he breathed, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck before lifting himself up to kiss her hard, breaking away after seconds to pull her into a tight embrace.  "Love you," he whispered, and she buried her face in his shoulder, relieved tears coming to her eyes.

They stayed like that until they heard Martha calling to them from the corridor, and he pushed Rose away, getting shakily to his feet just as Martha made it to them and launched herself at the Doctor, both of them giggling in relief as he spun her around.  As soon as he released her, she put her arms around Rose, squeezing tightly.

"Glad you’re not dead," she whispered.

"You too," Rose said with a grin.  They both giggled when the Doctor made a frustrated noise at the pair of them, wandering away to remove his space suit while muttering darkly about stubborn women.

oOoOo

"This is never your ship!" Scannell said as the Doctor circled around the TARDIS, making a show of inspecting it for damage so he didn’t really have to look at anyone—not Martha, not the two surviving crew members, and certainly not Rose.

"Compact! Eh!" he said with forced cheerfulness, putting up a hand to pat the ship.  "And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"We can’t just leave them drifting with no fuel," Martha said in concern.

"We’ve sent out an official mayday," Riley said.  "The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell started, trailing off with a shrug.

"Just tell them," the Doctor said, opening the TARDIS door.  "That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

Scannell nodded, and the Doctor and Rose made their way into the TARDIS.

"Are you sure you’re alright, Doctor?" Rose asked quietly as they made their way to the console.  The Doctor moved around the console, putting some space between them.

"I’m fine," he lied, looking down at the monitor.  The truth of the matter, the realization he’d come to after he’d nearly killed her was just too painful to say yet.  "Just a little worn out is all."

"Doctor," Rose started, stepping closer, but halting with a frown when he stiffened.  "Doctor, what’s—“

She stopped when Martha came in, shutting the door behind her before moving up the ramp and beaming at them.

"So! Didn’t really need you in the end, did we, Doctor?" she asked happily.  The Doctor didn’t answer, his mind buzzing with unpleasant thoughts that had nothing to do with Martha and everything to do with the ramifications of the adventure they’d barely made it through alive.  "Sorry," she said after a moment, glancing between them.  "How’re you doing?"

He glanced at her, and fought for control over his emotions.  “Now! What do you say?” he asked, returning to his usual business-like chatter and ignoring the burn of Rose’s eyes on him as he moved away around the console, steering them into the Vortex.  “Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Coerhaan. Fancy it?”

"Whatever," Rose said, and the Doctor barely stopped himself from glancing at her.  If he just kept himself away, she’d get it before long.

"I guess, yeah," Martha said uncertainly.

"By the way," he said, looking at her properly.  "You’ll be needing this."

He pulled out a TARDIS key on a long chain.  It was the cheaper variety, like Rose’s original one, but still sturdy enough for their newest companion…provided she could keep it from being ripped off her neck.

"Really?" she gasped.

"Frequent Flier’s Privilege,” he said with smirk as she held out her hands in awe.  "Oh, really, Martha!   It’s a key, not a sacrament."  She pulled a face and snatched it out of his hands, and he chuckled.  “And…thank you."

"Don’t mention it," she said with a grin. Then she started, feeling around for her mobile.  "Oh no! Mum!"  She glanced between them again as she pulled out the phone.  "You know what, I’ll take this in my room," she said quickly, apparently feeling the tension between the Doctor and Rose.

"You don’t have to do that," the Doctor said quickly, cursing himself for the desperate edge to his voice.

"No, it’s alright," she said over her shoulder as she moved down the corridor.  "You two probably need some…alone time anyway.  Call me when we’ve landed."

“Well, I suppose if she doesn’t want to go somewhere just yet, I’ll go—“

“Doctor, stop,” Rose cut him off.  “What is going on with you?”

“Nothing,” he said, moving around the console stiffly and avoiding her gaze.  “Just thought I’d go take care of a few things I’ve been working on.”

“Doctor, you’ve been…distracted and a little distant for weeks,” she said moving closer again.  “You kept saying you were fine, and I didn’t want to push you.  Except now, you won’t even look at me.  Please talk to me.”

“Rose,” he said softly, closing his eyes.  Everything that happened there, his terror at hurting everyone, at changing on her again, at the fact that she was too stubborn to leave when she needed to…that was bad.  But then…he could feel it, when he held her against that wall and nearly burned her away entirely.  It was just one more thing that’d give him nightmares…and one more thing she’d eventually remember with bitterness and regret when she finally realized that her whole existence was in shambles because of him, that he’d never been worth everything she gave up.  All the fear and pain and guilt that he’d been struggling with over the last couple of months reached a breaking point, and he simply couldn’t cope with it anymore.  For the first time, he was thankful that he hadn’t been able to bond with her…now he’d be able to let her go before either of them did any more damage.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself before he looked up at her.  “Rose, we can’t be together anymore.  I’m sorry, but we can’t.  You’re welcome to stay on the TARDIS, but if you want to leave, find some new life for yourself somewhere, I understand.  I’m sure we can find a way to set you up somewhere, find you a place to live and a job and—“

“No, shut up,” Rose said, holding up a hand, her eyes wide.  “Go back.  What do you mean we can’t be together anymore?”

“Pretty sure that’s fairly self-explanatory,” he said.  “Look, I don’t want to argue—“

“Tough,” she said hotly.  “You don’t get to tell me that we’re through out of nowhere without some kind of explanation.”

“Is it really out of nowhere?” he asked.  “You said yourself that I’ve been distracted and distant.”

“Not _that_ distant!” she cried.  “What the hell, Doctor?  Less than an hour ago you were telling me you love me and kissing me like your life depended on it, and now we’re done?”

“That was also right after I tried to kill you,” he said quietly.

“Oh, so it was just consolation?” she asked, a mocking tone entering her voice.  “A ‘sorry for trying to kill you’ kiss?”

“No,” he said tersely.  “But you seem to be overlooking the fact that it happened at all.”

“That wasn’t even you,” she said.  “That was a homicidal sun, for god’s sake!  What the hell does that have to do with _anything_?”

“Rose, you don’t get it,” he said.  “I’ve destroyed your whole life, and then I nearly killed you.  I just…I can’t do this anymore.”

“What are you _talking_ about?” she demanded.  “Can’t do what, exactly?”

“Rose…” He scrubbed a hand down his face before he looked back at her.  “Sooner or later, you’re going to realize what being with me has done to you.  I’ve taken everything from you…your family, your friends, you chance at a normal life.  Everyone else, they could go back.  You don’t have anything to go back to.  And that, having nothing else, that’s not a good enough reason to be together.”

“Is that why you’re with me, Doctor?” she asked him.  “Cause I’m all you’ve got?”

“No, of course not,” he said scoffed.

“But you think that’s the only reason I’m with you,” she said in a hard voice.

“Not right now,” he said reluctantly.  “But eventually, when you realize—“

“When I realize _what_ , Doctor?” she demanded.  “You don’t think I’m aware of what I lost?  You didn’t take that from me.  Life took that from me.”

“ _My_ life took that from you,” he corrected her bitterly.

“It’s my life too!” she shouted.  “And, in case you forgot, I knew that was going to happen when I came back.”

“Can’t you hear how _twisted_ that is?” he asked her, spinning around to face her completely.  “You came back knowing full well that you would lose everything.  Why?”

“I would have lost it all if I _hadn’t_ come back!” she cried.  “I would have _died_ in that other world, alone and miserable—“

“Exactly!” he said, advancing towards her.  “Any way you shake it, your life was doomed from the minute you met me.  Doomed to pain and misery and loss and fear.”  He turned, running a hand through his hair.  “Even the thing that was supposed to make us happy, the thing that let you keep your promise, it’s a curse.  The things that have changed you, they’ve hurt you and made you a target.  Even aside from that, you’re the one who’s going to have to watch everyone you care about wither and decay now.   That’s what being with me means.”

“I’ll still have you,” Rose said quietly.  “And you didn’t let me finish.  I would have died alone and miserable…but you would have had to live that way.  Now you don’t.  We both get to have someone who can give us forever.”

He glanced at her in annoyance and shook his head.  “You know, you could have found someone human.  Someone who could have made you happy, given you a family, grown old with you, but oh no, you had to go for the mad man in a box—“

“That has nothing to do with it,” she said quickly.  “I don’t care if you’re a mad man or an alien or human or if you live in a box or a palace or an Estate flat.  I love _you_.”

“Don’t say that,” he said quietly.

“So hard to believe that I’d still love you if you weren’t the almighty Doctor, last of the Time Lords, defender of the universe with the whole of time and space at your fingertips?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

He shook his head again and looked away, a muscle working in his jaw.  “It doesn’t matter.  One day, you’re going to understand exactly what a wreck your life is because of me,” he said in a low voice.  “And then you’re going to resent me and leave.  I’m just trying to make that eventuality a little less painful.”

“Oh my _god_ ,” she said her eyes widening as he looked at her sharply.  “Oh my god, you’re doing it again.  You’re…oh, you stupid bloody—“

“What am I doing _again_ , exactly?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

“You’re terrified, so you’re pushing me away,” she said.  “God, Doctor…you _never_ believed I would actually stay, did you?  You really are a piece of work, you know that?”

“Rose, I know that _you_ believe that you’ll stay—“

“Stop it!” she shouted, angry tears in her eyes as her hands curled into fists.  “Just stop it!  God, you take control freak to a level previously undiscovered, you know that?  You would actually rather quit than take the chance that you might be wrong, that someone might actually stay, might actually love you.  You selfish _bastard_.”

“ _Selfish_?” he asked loudly, incredulous.  “How is this _selfish_?  I’m trying to give you the out that I know you’ll eventually need because I love you too much—“

“Don’t you dare,” she said in a low, dangerous voice, and he stopped to stare at her.  “Don’t you dare tell me you love me.  Don’t you dare use that as an excuse.  Because you don’t get it.  If you say we’re through, you‘re not just throwing away your chance at happiness, you’re taking mine away from me, the only one either of us have left.  All because you just can’t handle letting go and trusting someone else.  Because you’ve always got to have a way out of everything, on your terms and yours alone, even if it’s something good, even if getting out means hurting someone else.”

“That’s not—“

“Don’t,” she snapped.  “Because that’s _exactly_ what it is.  God, Doctor…I am so tired.  I am _so_ tired of fighting against your demons, against _you_ , for something we both want just because you’re too bloody broken to accept it.”

Her words hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest.  He knew it was true, he’d said it often enough about himself, but to hear it from her, the one person who thought he could be fixed, that he could be better… he swallowed hard and took a breath, standing straighter and arching an eyebrow. 

“Then stop,” he suggested calmly.

“Stop what?”

“Stop fighting,” he said in a hard voice.  “You’re right.  I’m too broken.  So do us both a favor, and just stop trying to fix me.  Walk away, like you should have done the minute you came back.  Save us both anymore grief.”

She stared at him for a second, her mouth hanging open.  Then she snapped it shut and looked away, blinking rapidly.

“You know what, fine,” she said in a hollow voice.  “I’m done.  You want to run?  Have fun.  I hope you and your _issues_ have a wonderful life together.”

She pushed past him, knocking him to the side so he lost his balance and had to grab onto the console to keep his footing.  She didn’t even pause as she strode off into the corridor.  He stared into space for a moment, breathing heavily, before ripping something off the console and hurling it across the room to shatter against the wall.


	29. Aftermath

“You should try this, Martha,” the Doctor was saying at dinner.

Martha eyed the yellowish goop suspiciously.  “I think I’m alright.”

“Really, you’ll love it,” he insisted.

“No, I—“

“Ignore him, Martha,” Rose said from the other side of the table.  “He just can’t help pushing his opinions on people.”

The Doctor scowled as he looked over at her.  “Only when people are too stubborn to see what’s good for them.”

“Because you are the authority on what’s best for _everyone_ ,” Rose said with an eye roll, and Martha sighed heavily as what had become a familiar scene played out.

“After 900 plus years, yeah, I’d say I have some experience,” he retorted.

“Experience?” Rose asked, arching an eye brow.  “Is that what we’re calling forcing choices on people and running away?”

“You know, I think I’m really just not that hungry,” Martha offered as the other two stared icily at each other over the table.

“I think I’ve lost my appetite as well,” Rose said, dropping her fork and standing up quickly, stamping out of the room without a backward glance.  The Doctor stared after her for a moment, a muscle working in his jaw.  Then he too stood, dropping his plate into the sink with a bang that made Martha jump before striding out.  Martha sighed again, folding her arms on the table and resting her head on them.

The first thing she’d noticed after they escaped the living sun was that the door carved with the weird circles and lines had disappeared from the hall, and one with a rose had taken its place.  Then she ran into the Doctor stalking through the corridors in a foul mood, an intensely closed off and furious expression on his face.  Then, when she saw Rose, the bracelets had disappeared, and her key was hung with simple twine instead of the beautiful necklace that usually suspended it around her neck.  After two weeks, Martha was having flashbacks of her parents’ divorce—Rose and the Doctor were rarely in the same room together, and when they couldn’t avoid each other’s presence, they alternated between cold civility and arguing about _everything_.  She started to believe what they’d said about the TARDIS being sentient…unpleasant hums were permeating the ship, and more than once Martha had been alone with Rose or the Doctor only to have the other enter whatever room they were in with an intensely confused look on their face, claiming to have been trying to get somewhere else before making a swift exit.

But Rose was still there, and the Doctor didn’t seem inclined to ask her to leave.  They didn’t seem to want anything to do with each other…but they couldn’t seem to let each other go, either.

She didn’t get it.  Before this, their relationship had seemed like the ideal everyone strived for—they cared about and supported each other, seemed to genuinely enjoy each other, trusted and respected each other…and were so in love it almost hurt to watch.  Thing was, Martha was certain they still were, regardless of whatever problems they were having.  Neither of them wanted to talk about it, which didn’t surprise her in the least, but when they were together, she’d caught both of them looking at the other when they didn’t think they were being observed, with mirrored expressions of pain and longing.  It made no sense, and it bothered her to see two people she’d come to care for greatly, tearing themselves apart for no logical reason that she could see.

She stood up, clearing the rest of the dishes before heading out into the corridor to search for the other two.  Whatever was happening between them, it was driving them all mad, and she wanted her friends back.  They might not want to talk, but she was going to get to the bottom of this one if it killed her.

oOoOo

She found Rose in the library, going through a photo album.  She moved hesitantly across the room and sat down next to her.

“Rose?” she asked.  “Are you alright?”

Rose shrugged, brushing her fingers lightly over a picture of her and The Doctor, both their hair done up in retro styles in front of a street lined with union flag bunting.

“What’s that from?” she asked quietly.

“Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the second,” Rose replied, a catch in her throat, then she laughed.  “First time I actually saw him knocked out cold with a right hook.  He _hated_ that.”

Martha gave a surprised laugh.  “I’ll have to mention that some time…even the great and glorious Time Lord can be taken out with a good punch.”

Rose shook her head.  “He doesn’t know anything about it.  It didn’t happen this time.”

“Wait…what?” Martha asked, confused.  “But…you just said… _what_?”

Rose looked at her sideways and sighed.  “You know how I told you before that asking how long we’ve travelled together depends on who you ask?”  Martha nodded.  “Well, here’s the thing…”

Martha sat in stunned silence as Rose explained about travelling with the Doctor once, ages ago, before getting trapped in a parallel world after Canary Wharf, working for Torchwood there under her father, only to be brought back by the TARDIS because she was apparently dying and the Doctor evidently going mad, even though they hadn’t been properly together the first time.  She tried to wrap her mind around the idea of Rose reliving two years of her life right under the Doctor’s nose and not being able to tell him about any of it until after Canary Wharf.

“And your family?” she asked finally when the story was over.  “Are they still…”

“Parallel world, yeah,” Rose told her, nodding.  “That’s why I can’t see them anymore.”

“That’s just…wow,” Martha breathed.  That certainly put her bouts of homesickness into perspective.  “And he really didn’t catch on?”

“Oh…he did,” Rose said, her eyes unfocusing as she remembered something, a look of pain crossing her face.  “It…didn’t go well.  But it worked out.  He was mostly just upset because he didn’t know what was going on.  He doesn’t handle being in the dark very well.”

“There’s a lot of things he doesn’t handle well, when it comes to you,” Martha observed.

Rose snorted.  “You have no idea.  It’s not just me, though.  Psychologists would have a field day with that man.”

“Is that why you broke it off?” Martha asked hesitantly.

Rose was quiet, looking back down at her photo album.  “No,” she said finally, but didn’t seem keen on saying more as her fingers passed over another picture, this one of Rose with two men Martha hadn’t seen before.  The one on her right was gorgeous and fairly oozed confidence, with a dimpled grin and laughing blue eyes.  The one on her left looked a little stiff and awkward, arms crossed while he glared at the camera with eyes that, while also blue, were like ice.  Rose was smiling, resting her head on the shoulder closest to her of the stiff one while her hand snaked around to his opposite shoulder, her other arm around the waist of the confident man.  She couldn’t help but feel that the Doctor wouldn’t have been thrilled with how comfortable she was around either man.  He could get awfully possessive when he wanted to.

“Who’re they?” Martha asked curiously.

Rose gave her another sideways look.  “Well…that’s Captain Jack,” she said, pointing to the handsome one.  “We met him during the Blitz.  He travelled with us for a while, saving the universe and charming the pants off anything he had a chance to say hello to.”

“Classy,” Martha said with a grin, and Rose snickered.  “And the other one?”

“That’s…that’s the Doctor,” Rose said.  “Back when I first met him…or when he first met me…whatever.”

“What?” Martha asked sharply, leaning forward to look closer.  “No it’s not.  How could that be the Doctor?”

“There’s this thing he does,” Rose said slowly.  “When he’s…hurt.  Really hurt.  Going to die kind of hurt.  He changes his whole body, every cell, becomes a whole new man.  Back when I looked into the Vortex, I managed to save his life, but having that running through my head was going to kill me.  He took it out of me…but he changed because of it.”

“That…that’s insane,” Martha said, and Rose’s eyebrows shot up.  “No, no, I don’t think _you’re_ insane…I believe you.  It’s just the Doctor…everything about him is so…mad…so…”

“Alien?” Rose asked with a smirk.  “Tell me about it.”

“But is he still…him?” Martha asked.

“Sort of,” Rose said with a shrug.  “I mean, the looks, the personality, the ways he talks and his mannerisms change.  But the memories, the morals, that brilliance and courage that’s so completely him…that’s all the same.  He’s still the Doctor, whatever face he wears.”

Her face had gotten a soft smile as she spoke, looking down at the photos as she flipped a page, the book now showing both versions of the Doctor on facing pages.

“You still love him,” Martha said softly.

“Yeah,” Rose said, sniffing and wiping a hand over her cheek as a tear fell.

“So why can’t you tell him that?” Martha asked impatiently.  “So you can both stop moping about and fighting like this.”

“It’s not as simple as that, Martha,” Rose said, looking up at her.

“Maybe you’re just making it too complicated,” she snapped, then felt bad when Rose looked away hurriedly.  “I’m sorry.  It’s just…you two love each other so much, you’re practically made for each other.  I just don’t get what could come so far between you two.”

“The same thing that always does,” Rose said bitterly.  “The Doctor.  This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, Martha.  I just can’t do it anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Martha asked.  “What happened before?”

“France,” Rose said darkly.  Martha stared at her while she sat and stewed on some bad memory, chewing on her nail.  Then she looked up again at Martha, and it was like she flipped a switch.  “Right, that’s enough getting mugged on Memory Lane for me.  Let’s go find something silly and mindless on telly and forget that the real world is such a pain in the arse.”

oOoOo

It wasn’t until the following day that Martha ran into the Doctor.  She found him out on what had become known as “Rose’s balcony,” leaning on the railing and staring out at the simulated sunset over London.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Martha asked, putting her hands on the railing next to him.

“Oh, Martha Jones,” he said with a smirk.  “Why on earth would you want to waste your money like that?”

“Morbid curiosity,” she said with a smile, and he chuckled.  He looked back out at the skyline, and the smile slipped from her face.  “Doctor, you know she still loves you, right?”

“Don’t, Martha,” he said quietly, looking down.

“But Doctor—“

“Don’t,” he repeated, straightening as he turned to look at her.  “It’s neither your business nor your concern.”

“But she spent two years fighting to stay with you,” Martha said as he moved to leave, and he froze.  “She did that because she loves you.  Why would you let that go?”

“She told you about that?” he asked, turning his head slightly with his back still turned.

“Yeah,” Martha said, nodding.  “And she told me how you…you changed.  Why would she do all that twice if she didn’t want to be with you?”

“She did it to save her own life,” the Doctor said in a hard voice, moving towards the door again.

“Is that it, then?” Martha asked.  “She did it to save herself, and kept you in the dark…so it’s like it wasn’t real?”

He whipped around so fast she jumped back into the railing, and he advanced until he was towering over her.

“I _never_ want to hear that again,” he said in a low, dark voice.  “Do you hear me?  Never, _ever_ make any implication that how I feel is any way tarnished by the efforts she made, and certainly not around her.  Is that perfectly clear?”  Martha nodded weakly.  “Good,” he said, backing up, the darkness in him receding once again.  “Well, then.  I think we’re done here.”

“Doctor, I didn’t mean any offense by it,” Martha said as he turned to leave once again.  “I just don’t understand how you can care so much about her but still want to end things.”  He paused at the door, and she took a breath.  “You’re better with her.”

“I know,” he said softly.  “She’s the best part of me.  But I’m the worst part of her.”

“What do you mean?” Martha asked.  “She loves you, she loves travelling with you, going on adventures and saving the world and seeing the whole of time and space.  You know she does.  You can’t tell me that she went through everything she did just to save herself.  She changed herself to save your life and give you forever, she let go of everything, her life, her family—“

“Exactly,” the Doctor said, turning around again.  “She lost everything—her home, her family, her human existence and the future that came with it—all because of me.  Instead, she’s stuck with a broken man in a box…forever.  How long do you think it’ll take before all that catches up to her?  Another six months?  A year?  Ten years?  Sooner or later, she’s finally going to understand what she really gave up, and all those moments, those little incidents where I hurt her or she was hurt because of me, when she’s been targeted or in danger because she’s not quite human enough anymore, when I’ve failed her…all of that’s going to add up.  And what do you think will happen then?  Hmm?  She’s going to wither away, not in her body, but in her soul.  I’ll have to watch that resentment grow in her every day, until there’s nothing left of her.  I’d rather her hate me now than see that.  Because that would destroy us both.”

Martha stared at him, her heart breaking for him.  “You’re scared,” she said softly.  “You’re completely terrified of losing her.  I get that.  But Doctor, it must have occurred to you that everything she’s done, everything she’s been through, it’s all proof against exactly what you’re saying.  She’s never gonna leave you.  Why can’t you believe in her?”

He swallowed hard and took a breath, staring past her at the simulated sky, now dotted with more stars than one would ever be able to see in the real London.

“I do believe in her,” he said.  “I believe in her brilliance, her capability, her courage, her strength.  Oh, I believe in her, Martha…more than I believe in anything else in the universe.”  His gaze shifted so he was looking at her again.  “But she said so herself.  I’m too broken.  As much as I believe in her…I’ll always believe she deserves better, and it’s only a matter of time before she sees it too.”

“She…she said that?” Martha asked, stunned.  She shook her head when he nodded.  “No…she couldn’t have meant that.  She was just angry.”

“Maybe so,” he admitted.  “That doesn’t make it any less true.”  He paused.  “It’s better this way, Martha.  Honestly.  It might hurt right now, but if we’re just travelling together, instead of…if and when she finds a better option, she’ll be free to take it.”

“But she doesn’t want anything else,” Martha said, her tone pleading.  “And you can’t honestly say you’ll be happy if she leaves.  All you’re doing is inflicting unnecessary pain on yourself and her.  Can’t you see that?” He stared at her, a muscle working in his jaw.  “Doctor, it’s okay to be afraid.  But you show so much courage, every day.  You fight aliens and monsters and living suns…why can’t you fight this?”

“Because I don’t know how,” he said, his voice breaking and his eyes suspiciously moist.  Then he took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his mouth before running a hand over his face.  Martha sighed and sagged a little, instantly recognizing from the change in his features and stance that that one crack was all she was going to get.

“Really, though, Martha…leave it alone,” he said.  “I know you’re trying to help, but…just leave it.”

He turned and left the balcony, and she followed after him into the corridor.  “Where’re you going?”

“Console room,” he said, his voice business-like again.  “There’s a planet you girls might like…quite pretty, in a sort of…dark, desolate kind of way.  Abandoned, so we’ll have it all to ourselves, how’s that sound?”

“Yeah…great,” she said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

“Right then,” he said.  “You go find Rose, and I’ll do the flying.  See you in a bit.”

He took off down a corridor, and she was sure he would be willing to travel completely around the TARDIS before hitting the console room if it meant getting out of her presence at the moment.  She sighed, but then realized that even just a crack in his armor was something to work with.  At least she knew what was wrong now…he was guilty and scared, and Rose was angry and tired.  She could work with that…maybe.  She was sure that, given a little more time, she’d find a way to help them resolve the whole problem.

Unfortunately, the Family found them first, on a pretty but desolate planet where the Doctor was once again proven wrong…and everything went to hell.


	30. The Chameleon Arch

The Doctor buried his hands in his pockets as he followed his two companions out of the TARDIS.  He felt twitchy without Rose’s hand securely in his, but that was just something he was going to have to get used to.  He knew that breaking it off wasn’t going to be as simple as going back to the way they’d been…because really, in this body, they’d never been exactly casual.  He missed all the little touches that had become so much a part of them, the absence of which made him feel isolated even when both girls were within arm’s distance.  His only consolation was in the fact that, without contact, the ache in his mind had begun to recede…which really wasn’t a consolation at all, as the ache in his heart seemed to worsen with every hour, with every barb thrown between them, with every cold stare he received from the eyes that held his whole universe.

But it was better this way.  It had to be.

“So where are we?” Martha asked, breaking into his thoughts.  He shook himself and took a deep breath as he looked around.

“Azurellia,” he said.  “Some people call your Earth the blue planet, but that’s only because they’ve never seen this one.”

“It’s beautiful,” Rose said, her eyes roving over the rocky terrain that ranged from the lightest baby blue to midnight.  The ground had a layered quality to it, seams of different hues running through it, and stones and boulders had stacked themselves precariously in odd little cairns at random intervals between the mountains rising up on the sides.

“It sort of looks like a Dr Seuss illustration,” Martha commented.

“Little bit,” the Doctor said with a grin.  “Slightly more monochromatic, but yeah, I can see that.”

“So what are we doing here?” Rose asked, her tone civil but completely devoid of its usual warmth.  He sighed, trying to ignore this.  At least they weren’t snapping at each other.

“Well, there’s a dry lake…somewhere close,” he said, scratching the back of his head and stopping to look around.  “It should be—Martha?”

The girl was frowning and looking around curiously.  “No, sorry…I just…I thought I heard something.”

“Nah, couldn’t have,” he said easily.  “This place is rich in minerals—that’s why there’s all the different shades of blue, all representing some other mineral seam—but absolutely incapable of sustaining life for any considerable length of time.  No flora, no fauna, no water, even, other than the slight particles in the air.  It’s all absorbed.  No, this place has been abandoned for—“  He stopped, tilting his head to the side.  There was a breeze, and as it passed, it had almost sounded like whispers.

“You heard it too!” Martha said, pointing at him.  “Tell me I’m not crazy.”

“You’re not crazy,” he said automatically, his brow furrowing as he tried to concentrate.  He turned, taking a few steps toward the bend in the path they were on, and the whispers grew.

_Feel them…feel life…_

_Such life…such long life…_

_TIME LORD…_

_The Doctor…the Bad Wolf…they hold life…_

_WE WILL HAVE LIFE…_

The Doctor froze as the words began to take shape, then stepped back toward the girls.  They were still at a distance, but coming closer rapidly.  Hunters.  Capital H.  Their real name had been lost when the race had all but died, only a few remaining, scattered across time and space, parasitic mayflies whose short lives were dedicated to plans of longevity and destruction.

Of course they were here.  That was just the way his life had been going lately.

“Girls, I need you both to turn around right now and run back to the TARDIS,” he said quietly.

“What?” Rose asked.

“Run!” he yelled, spinning around and pushing them ahead of him as the whispers turned to screams, explosions suddenly surrounding them as green lasers shot from behind them.

The three travelers dove into the TARDIS, the TARDIS console sparking madly as it took a shot before the doors slammed shut.  They scrambled to their feet, the Doctor darting over to the two girls, one hand on Martha’s arm and the other on Rose’s.

"Did they see you?" he demanded urgently, his eyes flicking between them.

"I don’t know!" Martha cried.

"But did they see you?" he asked again. 

"We were too busy running," Rose said breathlessly.  "I…I dunno."

"It’s important—did they see your faces?" he asked, near panic.  "Either of you?"

"No, they couldn’t have!" Martha said finally.

"Our backs were turned when the shooting started," Rose agreed.

The Doctor nodded once and released them, ripping off his coat as he spun around to the console, flicking switches rapidly.

"Off we go!" he said quickly, glancing up as the time rotor wheezed to life, furiously willing it to drag them away from the place.

"I thought you said that place was abandoned," Rose said as she and Martha joined him at the console.

"It was supposed to be," he muttered in annoyance.  "Those things, they’re short lived, but resilient enough to live practically anywhere while they’re alive." A warning beeped, calling his attention to the monitor.  He gave a frustrated growl as he pulled the monitor close to read it.  "They’re following us."

"How can they do that?" Martha asked.  "You’ve got a time machine."

"Stolen technology, they’ve got a Time Agent’s vortex manipulator," he explained, glancing quickly at Rose.  "They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe."  He paused.  "They’re never going to stop."

He looked up, staring into space and running his hands through his hair as his mind raced, seeking any solution.  His old Type 40, magnificent a ship though she was, couldn’t hold this pace in the Vortex for long…they’d catch up, and then they’d rip the ship apart to get at them.  He could go all across the universe, but they’d always find him and his two extremely expendable companions.  Unless…no.  Maybe…

"Unless…" he said quietly aloud.  "I’ll have to do it…"  He pulled both girls in front of him as he took a step back.  "You trust me, don’t you?"

"Of course I do," Martha said.

"With my life," Rose said without hesitation, recognizing the severity of the situation, and he felt a stab of pain.

"It all depends on you," he said urgently, pushing that aside.  There were more important things to focus on that _that_ mess right now.

"What does?" Martha asked.  "What are we supposed to do?"

He reached down under the console, grabbing one of the chameleon fob watches he’d stashed there…oh, decades ago, probably.  “Take this watch, ‘cause my life depends on it. The watch, girls, the watch is me.”

"…Right, okay, gotcha…" Martha said slowly, and he turned away, readying the Chameleon Arch.  "No, hold on!" she cried, racing after him.  "Completely lost!"

"Those creatures are Hunters," he explained quickly.  "They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord—well, I’m unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

"Why do they want to track you?" Rose asked.  "What do they want?  Time Lord head on the mantle?"

"My life," he said quickly.  "Like I said, they don’t live long.  I do.  They want my life force to extend their lifespans, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it."

"And the good news is?" Martha asked as Rose stared at him.

"They can smell me, they haven’t seen me," he said quickly.  "And their life’s bound to be running out- so, we hide, wait for them to die."

"But you said they can track us, follow us anywhere," Rose said.

He stopped everything, turning to look at them intently.  “That’s why I’ve got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I’m gonna become human.”

"You can do that?" Rose asked, shocked.

"Yes," he said, nodding.  "But it’s…complicated.  I don’t just stop being a Time Lord.  I stop being me.  Whole new persona takes over.  It’s not…not anything I could do long term."

"But that will hide you?" she asked, chewing on a nail.

"It should," he said.  "I’ll blend in, they won’t know it’s me."

"What about Rose?" Martha asked, looking concerned.

"What _about_ Rose?” the Doctor asked, staring at her in confusion.

"Well, it’s like you said," she said hesitantly, glancing between them.  "A human isn’t the same as an ape.  Won’t they be able to tell there’s something different about her?  I could swear I heard them say something else…they said Time Lord…the Doctor…and…"

"The Bad Wolf," Rose whispered as the Doctor’s mind froze in horror.  No.  No no no no.  Not again.  She wasn’t going to be hurt and targeted _again_ because of this, because of him.  “Doctor, they’re going to be looking for me too, aren’t they?  And they’ll be able to track me—“

"No," he said quickly.  "No, you’re close enough to human.  You’ll be fine."

_You know she will not_ , came a buzz in his mind, and he growled in frustration.

_Absolutely not!_ he snarled back at the ship.  He was not going to put her through that…he wasn’t even sure it would work.  The Chameleon Arch was designed for Time Lords and TNA, not Vortex-manipulated human DNA.

"Are you sure though, Doctor?" Martha was asking in concern.  "I mean…I know it…bothers you, her being targeted like this, but you can’t just ignore it either."

"She’s right, Doctor," Rose said.  "If we ignore it and they find us because of me—“

"No!" he shouted, slamming his hand down on the console and making them both jump.  He took a deep breath, trying to force some measure of calm.  They didn’t have time for this.  "No, Rose, I can’t…I can’t let you do that.  I don’t even know what would happen to you."

“Well, it’s a good thing that it’s not your decision,” Rose said, tilting her head up proudly.

“Oh, yes it is,” he growled.  “My ship, my rules.”

“Your ship, my DNA,” she countered.  “I’m not going to let your ego force a bad decision on me just because of misplaced guilt.”

“And I’m not going to let you go through a process that might not even work just because you’re too stubborn to listen to reason,” he snapped, temper flaring.

_I can protect the Bad Wolf_ , the TARDIS sang.  _I can hide her away, and restore her, just as I can you._

_You can’t be sure,_ he said.  _Her DNA is too unique._

In response, he saw himself and Rose in the infirmary half a year before as he took DNA samples and ran them through the computer, storing the data to the memory banks. 

_It’s so much pain,_ he thought insistently.  _I don’t even know if she’d survive._

Again, a memory played in his mind’s eye, this one of the conversation they’d had after the incident at the hospital.

_“_ _You’re used to being the one to save and protect everyone,”_ Rose said. _“Just don’t forget…stronger than the average human.”_

He groaned, closing his eyes and scrubbing both hands over his face.  When he opened his eyes again, both girls were watching him expectantly.  He let out a stream of curses that the TARDIS refused to translate as he ducked under the console and fished out another watch, a gold one etched with the same Gallifreyan markings as the silver one.

"Martha, this means it’s all up to you," he said, cold and business-like in his defeat.  "Neither of us will know who we really are.  The TARDIS can take care of us…give us places in history, backstories, etcetera, but you’re going to have to integrate yourself somehow.  We should have enough residual awareness to let you in, but you’ll have to improvise."

He turned back to the console and lowered the Chameleon Arch, fighting back the waves of panic and anger both on his behalf and Rose’s.  She’d refused to leave the ship, even after they’d fought furiously and fallen apart.  And now, barely two weeks later, he’d landed them in a situation that highlighted exactly why she should stay as far away from him as she could possibly get.

He shook himself.  He’d have to deal with that later.  Now, they needed to get this done and get into hiding before the Hunters could find them.

"Never thought I’d use this," he muttered.  "All the times I’ve wondered…"

"What exactly does that thing do?" Martha asked.

"Chameleon Arch," he explained.  "It’ll re-write our biology. Literally changes every single cell in the body. I’ve set it to human."  He took one of the watches, the gold one, and fitted it into a slot in the front of headset.

"But…hold on," Martha said, glancing from him to Rose and back.  "If you’re going to rewrite every single cell—isn’t it going to hurt?"

"Yes," he said tersely.  He saw the instant look of regret and apology on her face, but he shook his head.  She’d been right about Rose.  He might hate it, but she was right.  He sucked in a breath and turned to Rose, hating himself instead.  "I’m sorry, Rose," he said softly.

"It’s not your fault, Doctor," she said, stepping closer.  "None of it.  Not the Hunters, not why they’re after me too."  His gaze slid away from her, and she put a hand to his cheek.  It was the first time she’d intentionally touched him since he’d broken it off, and he shivered involuntarily, closing his eyes at the contact.  The effort he’d put in to keep himself away yielded slightly, and he reached up a hand to brush her hair back before pressing a kiss to her forehead, ignoring the ache as it throbbed to life.

"So…how long are two going to…not be you?" Martha asked as he stepped back from Rose and fitted the headset on her.

"Three months should do it," he said.  "They’re like mayflies.  Within three months, they’ll be dead, and we can come back."

"Right then," Rose said, her voice shaking slightly.  "Guess I’ll see you in three months."

"I’m so sorry," he said again, stepping toward the console to start the process.

"Shut up," she said, taking a deep breath.  "Just…let’s just get this over with, yeah?"

He nodded and flicked a control, sending a current through the Chameleon Arch.  He closed his eyes briefly and bowed his head as she started screaming, knowing the sound would haunt him forever.  He forced himself to look back at her, watching her convulse as the current ran through her.  He stepped forward just as the process ended, catching her limp form while her final screams were still fading.  He carried her over to the jump seat and checked her breathing and pulse—and there was no power in the universe that could keep him from kissing her lips gently before going back to retrieve the watch and replace it with the second one, silver this time.

"She was right, Doctor," Martha said quietly as he adjusted the headset for his own head.  "It’s not your fault.  Not everything that happens in your vicinity is your fault, even if it hurts people.  Even if it hurts Rose."

"No, it’s not," he said quietly.  "But that doesn’t change the fact that if she hadn’t changed for me, she wouldn’t be targeted now, does it?"

As an afterthought, he stopped to record a message for Martha to look over later if she had any further questions or if for some reason anything went wrong.

"Take care of her," he whispered as he gave Martha a final hug.  "And thank you."


End file.
